FFX ReadThrough
by RJRelentless
Summary: I decided to do a readthrough on FFX, i'm gunna try to follow the story as much as possible but i'm also doing this off of memory i'm not gunna do research unless I have to Like al bhed stuff and i'm gunna put some on my own bits in. This is my first story so try and bear with me OK? Enjoy! P.S: I will only be doing this story based on Tidus' POV.
1. Before the match

Before the match.

Listen to my story, this may be our last chance.

I woke up to something or someone banging on my front door. I figured if I left 'em to it they'll stop after a while…how wrong was I

"TIDUS! TIDUS GET YOUR LAZY RUMP OUT OF BED! TRAINING AINT GUNNA START WITHOUT YA!"

I squinted my eyes over at my alarm clock to find that it was 5:30 in the morning.

I'm telling ya right here and now; I am not a morning person.

"ALRIGHT! JUST GIVE ME A SEC!"

I struggeled to get out of bed after a 10 minuete battle between me and my legs not wanting to work, went over to my dresser and picked out my clothes which in my case was tracky bottoms with the Zanderkand Abes symbol over the front of the right leg and the back of the left leg, my grey shirt (also with the Z.A symbol on it) and my Z.A necklace. Needless to say, I am a dedicated guy.

When I opened the door, I saw one of my team mates where in the living room watching T.V. I walked into the kitchen and heard Nicky, the new keaper for the team say, "Tidus, dude you have to get some better T.V, there's nothing on…" as she flicked through the channels with one hand on the remote and one hand clunched in a fist as she rested her head on it.

"Well what do you expect being as it not even 6 in the morning. Speaking of which why do we need to get up this early to train? By the time the game comes I won't have any energy left to play." I said while drinking a cup of coffee while handing her one. She yawner and replied "Tell me about it," as she took the cup and took a huge gulp. One thing I always admired about her was that you could never seem to hurt her, hell she couldn't even hurt herself with a scorching cup of coffie. "But I don't make the rules, if you got a problem with it you should go ask coach, he might listen to you since him and your old…" Before she finished the sentence I shot her deadly glare which told her if she did'nt shut up now, she was gunna regret it. "I mean, since you're Mr Star player he might, maybe, possibly listen to you." She recovered with an awkard smile.

"Well, not much I can do now is there, last match of the season," I said with a groan. After Nicky found a channel to watch we finished our drinks, ate breakfast and headed towards the stadium and waited for the rest of the team to arrive. We silently tossed the ball backwards and forwards as one of teams best, Virin entered the sphere pool.

"WAZZUP?" He asked as he swam towards us. Something was defiantly wrong with him. Virin was usually a very quite, laid back kinda guy and judging by his attitude he had at least 20 cups of coffee this morning.

"Hey, know if anyone else is here yet?" I asked at I hurled the ball at Nicky.

"Yeah, coach is on his way with Kairine, Carlso and Ty are in the changing rooms. So full house before 6am, not bad at all!"

I know I should'nt of but the words escaped my mouth before I could catch them. "Just wobndering but how many pints of coffee did you have this morning Vin?" I just wanted to get to practice, end practice go home and sleep the rest of the day of until it was time to play. Virin happily said back "at least 20 to 30 cups" he said with a smile from ear to ear.

Practice went the way I wanted it to so after wards I went home and decided to get a couple hours sleep before the big game, but something kept me awake the whole time I was in bed some kind of BAD feeling vibe, and the bad feelings if have are usually right. Instead of trying to get some shut eye I went to the top on the stairs and just sat down looking over Zanderkand. I don't know why but I started to sing this old song my old man used to sing, well hum anyway. As I was humming I got the feeling someone was watching me, I looked everywhere until I came to the conclution that it was just something that happens before a match. I looked at the wrist watch I had on and lept up in astonishment. The game started at 8pm and it was 7:45pm. I ran from my house to the high bridge and just had to stop at my sides where about to burst. As I walked I noticed a banner that defenatly had not been there for nearly ten years now. My old man staired down at me with eyes filled with pride and joy, but I looked up at the big pair of red eyes with hatred and… well that's the onoly thing I had for him, so that the only way I looked at him.

"Hmph" I started to run now my sides had givin me a break and I heard the local blitz narrator on the speakers under the high bridge._** I was in a coffee shop running away from home when I heard the news. **__Our_ hero Jecht, gone vanished into with air. My dad must have been his biggest fan, I knew how sad he'd be, heck we all were that day.

_Not all of us were_, I thought to myself as I listened**. **_**Zanar I said to myself "What are you thinking? I went running straight back home, we sat up talking 'bout Jecht all night… my dad and I never talked so much… Whoa… did'nt mean to reminisce folks, Anyway, 1o years later the Jecht memorial cup tournament is today! The two teams that have won through to the finals are… of course the Abes from A East and the Duggles from C South, I know there are a lot of people out there today to see the star of the Abes! In just one year he has become the teams number one player! He Jecht's blood and a new hope of Blitzball! What kind of super play will he show us today? Will we see his father legendary shot? I don't think im the only one exited here folks! **_

Finally, I made my way towards the stadium enterance to see a massive crowd in my way, refusing me to give me enterance before I have them autographs. "Make way, Make way!" Still nobody moved. "Coming through, Sorry!" I managed to get through half of the crowd and I looked down at my watch: 7:56pm. "Hey I'm gunna be late!" I managed to get through the crowd, but someone grabbed me. "Hey! Let go of me!" I ran in through the enterance, turned and waves at my fans_. This is going to be a match to remember_, I thought to myself. Hey and I wasn't wrong either.


	2. Lets Blitz!

_**Let's Blitz!**_

I entered the stadium and walked into the changing rooms to find all of my team mates looking at me with sour and annoyed faces.

"Alright I'll get changed as quick as I can, ya know if you'd quit staring at me."

"Well hurry up about it! We have to minuets."

I changed into my gaming clothes, which include my necklace & earrings (Surprise surprise, BOTH with the Z.A symbol on 'em), my yellow shirt and pants.

"C'mon, get moving Tidus…" I looked up to see a VERY unhappy face which belonged to coach.

"I'm going, I'm going. Okay boys! And girls! Let's knock 'em dead!"

"YEAH!"

I walked along the corridors which lead me to the sphere pool. I was in water up to my legs which was very relaxing. I sat down and started to wait.

After a few seconds, I opened my eyes to see the stadium, the fans and the energy sphere starting to grow. I stood up grabbed the Blitzball and waited for the sphere to get to water level, them I held the ball in the air and the fans went wild. My team mates came round and we all jumped in.

As soon as my body came into the water, I was in gaming mode; nothing was gunna stop from winning.

The ball was given to the coach and was thrown into the pool. A guy with a pony tail on the Duggles grabbed it so quickly I hardly saw the ball being thrown in._ He's gunna be a problem. Gunna have to get rid of him._ I thought to myself. Carlos got the ball from him and threw it to Kairine who dropped it. I went to reclaim it but as soon as my fingers grasped the ball, someone was on my back and wasn't letting go anytime soon. I struggeled to get him off and after a bit he lost him grip I threw the ball back to Carlos as he was nearer the goal, but pony tail intersepted it. He was right near the egje of the sphere pool. So I figured the team could do with out him. As soon as he threw the ball to one of his team mates I swam as fast as I could as him. He was stupid not to move, he went flying through the sphere pool. I went on continuing the game. The ball was passed to me, I passed it to Kairine who scored an epic goal. I looked towards the scores and we were 1 point up. Kairine gave Virin a hi-five and continued the game. The ball was kicked out of the sphere pool and into the air and me being me I swam after it.

_Well, better give the people what they came here for._ As I prepared to do my old mans move I noticed a ball of water in the air. _What the…_ as I turned upside down the ball of water was behind these lights that came speeding towards me and the stadium. I was still on the way down to the sphere pool but grabbed a podium above me as I saw the sphere pool was no longer there, It was replaced by rubble and ruin. I was losing my grip on the podium until I couldn't hang on anymore. My hand slipped and I fell to what looked like my doom. All I remember after that was people looking down at me.

"He's still alive! C'mon we gotta get him outta here!"

"He's gunna die look at the state of him! C'mon lets go!"

Then I blacked out while my city was being destroyed by the ball of water.


	3. The Strange Kid

_**The Strange Boy**_

I woke up to the sound of screams and feet running across the floor.

I lifted my head to see I was right outside the entrance of the stadium and the two statues that used to be there were now rubble on the floor. I couldn't have been out for long being as there were still people fleeing from the stadium, so I got up and ran with everyone else until I saw a man standing incredibly still and calm. He wore a long red coat, leather vest, a bottle and a pouch on the side of his belt and black sunglasses. I could have seen that smug face from a mile off, a face I hadn't seen in nearly 5 years.

"Auron! What are you doing here?" He looked as if he was not surprised or even scared at the situation at hand; I guess people never really change.

"I was waiting for you." He started toward towards the high bridge but instead of running like everybody else, he calmly walked while everyone else run for dear life.

_What does he mean by that? He was waiting for me? Did he know this was gunna happen? _ As I thought to myself how he could have possibly known something like this was gunna happen, I realized I was being stupid, how could he have possibly known something like this was gunna happen.

"What are you talking about?" I followed him to the high bridge until I lost sight of him which was not surprising since wherever I looked someone or something was there. I turned round and looked for Auron in all different directions. I could have sworn all the screaming and shouting would have damaged my hearing. Then I caught sight of Auron looking over towards the middle of the city. I went to run toward him then there was a complete change in the atmosphere. There wasn't a sound out of anyone. I turned and everything stopped on the spot. The people who were running had one foot in the air. I got the same feeling I did earlier on in the day; that someone was looking straight at the back of my head so I turned and there was a kid about half my size, He wore a sort of purple tunic with a strange circle symbol on the back. He had a hood covering his face so only his mouth was showing.

"It begins," He said. _What begins? Who is this kid?_

"Wha?" I was totally confused that it was only me and this unknown kid who could speak or move.

"Don't cry." _What is he talking about? Me? Cry? Yeah right!_

Then there was the ear-splitting screams again. Everyone was running and shouting again. The real strange thing was, the boy wasn't there anymore. He just disappeared. After most of the people got off the bridge I remembered that Auron was still waiting for me. He was still in the same place and I knew he was going the wrong way if he wanted to run.

"Hey! Wait!"


	4. Sin

_**Sin..?**_

I ran to Auron who hadn't moved a muscle. He must have known he was going the wrong way; everyone else was going in the complete opposite direction.

"Hey, not this way." I put my hands on my knees as I arched my back, panting and trying to catch my breath. I looked up to see he STILL hadn't moved. I began to think he was still frozen like everybody else was until he spoke.

"Look." His one good eye (He was blind in the other one, he had a scar going from his brow to his cheek) he stared near the middle of the city only higher. I followed his gaze to see the ball of water levitating over the middle of the city.

"We called it "Sin." He looked over at me and back to Sin as I said "Sin?"

I watch as part of its body detached itself from Sin and it attached itself to one of the tallest buildings in Zanderkand. It opened like a shell and all these lights came flying out of it like it did at the stadium except instead of explosions, there were little monsters with lights still on its wings. A couple of them came for me and Auron. I tried to scare them away with my arms until one came straight for me, forcing me to go back and fall. As I attempted to get back up there was a red long sword sticking out at the corner of my eye. Auron stood there with the sword and held it out for me.

"Take it." I did as I was told and got up looking at it and thinking how heavy it was.

"A gift from Jecht," _Dad? Gift? Me?_

"My old man?" I looked back at the monsters and started to swing the sword uncontrollably ending once again on my backside. I got back up to see Auron with his own sword. His was a lot longer than mine, also his was a greyish silver colour.

"I hope you know how to use it," he said while looking at the monsters. I nodded and got into a fight position I was comfortable with.

After a few hacks and slashes we were able to get away from the smaller ones, but another shell detached itself from Sin and landed on the bridge.

I looked up towards the banner on the building with my old man on it and the banner was flashing as if he was laughing.

"What are you laughing about old man? Auron! Let's get outta here!" But once again Auron being stubborn as he is stood perfectly still looking over at the shell.

"Were expected," he started to run towards the shell.

"Give me a break, man!" I followed him over to the shell and stood with him with his sword out and I got mine out.

We beat the shell and the little monsters that came with it and continued onward. This time we were surrounded. There was a monster everywhere I turned. I think I preferred the screaming in all honesty.

Auron looked round and decided for once that this was trouble.

"Hmph, this could be bad." He continued to look round until he saw on of the speaker attached to 3 barrels of petrol. (What it was doing there I have no idea.)

"That!" He pointed toward the speakers. "Knock it down!"  
Because of that idea, I thought me had gone nuts. They was fire down below us and he expected us to throw petrol into it. _Yeah this is gunna end well._

"What?"

"Trust me you'll see." He went and started to attack the speakers. It was only screwed on but it had a lot of resistance. Finally it gave way and fell into the fire, causing massive explosions and bangs. The bridge started to shack and the building with my old man on started to collapse and fall straight onto the bridge. I had to run for my life not to get squashed.

I looked over to the bridge and it was on the way down into the fire.

"Go." Auron ordered me to on the bridge that on its way down into the fire.

_He's nuts! I'm gunna die!_

I began to protest but I knew Auron and decided I better not. I jumped onto the falling bridge and ran over to the end where I had to make one hell of a jump. Sin was right about us and he was sucking everything up. I held onto the part of the bridge that hadn't collapsed and struggled to pull myself up. Auron walked over to me as the bridge started to levitate in the air.

"Auron!" Auron did nothing but look up as Sin and stared as if I wasn't there.

"You are sure?" He asked Sin and we continued to levitate. I managed to get my upper body up on to the bridge and Auron looked down at me.

"This is it." He came down and grabbed me by the collar and pulled me up.

"This is your story." _My story… what are you talking about?_

"It all begins here." Then as I looked at him he was sucked into Sin and was there no more.

I felled this pressure on my chest and knew it was my turn. There was nothing I could do so I exclaimed

"AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"


	5. Strange New Place

_**This Strange New World.**_

I was sucked into Sin and Auron was nowhere to be found. I looked round and saw that there was a J on fire in the distance. I was swimming in nothing, the air I suppose. I got the feeling my old man was behind me, in front of me and beside me. I was creepy and I didn't like the feeling.

"My…old man?" I looked down to see I was swimming right above my house and on the roof there was a boy in blue and yellow with brown hair. I swan to the boy to see it was…me.

It was me when I was younger, about ten to nine years old if I was guessing.

_I though about a lot of things. Like, where I was. What I had gotten myself into._

_I started to feel light headed, and then…sleepy._

_I think I had a dream, a dream of being alone. I wanted someone, anyone beside me so I didn't have to feel alone anymore._

I woke up to the sound of waves crashing against rocks. I lifted my head to see a single gull on the edge of the rock I was lying on. Auron was again, nowhere to be seen.

"Anybody there?" No answer.

"Auron?" Still no reply.

"HEEEEEY!" Still no reply. The only thing I got outta that was the sea-gull flying away.

_Well, it has to fly somewhere._ I decided to try and follow it but it was way to fast. I noticed there were small ruined buildings surrounding me. Below the surrounding buildings was water so I got down into the water and started to swim in the direction the gull went. I came to a small flight of stone stairs and I continued forward till I got to this ancient pathway which was about a hell of a lot of water which was no biggie but its what was in the water which was my concern.

I though I saw something Greenish rush around in the water and then a green man-like fish soared over my head and back into the water. I jumped in after it because, well don't judge me, I was hungry and it looked as if it was a little meat on it so I figured what the heck. I killed it and another 3 came for me. After I killed to of them, the 1 that was left stopped and swam away really fast. I turned to see a HUGE great big sea monster (Geosgaeno) which looked as if he wanted the same thing as me: food.

I swam as fast as I could to the surface and looked for a place to hide. I saw a hole not too far of so I thought I better go for it. Even though I didn't look back I could feel the pressure of the water behind me. This thing was a fast swimmer, a little bit faster then me actually. As I got to the hole, half my body was in the monsters mouth while the other half was still swimming for dear life. I was just about small enough to get through the hole so as I swan through it, the monster got left behind, so I was safe for now.

As I rested I heard this crashing behind me, I didn't even bother to look back cuz I already knew what it was. Rock avalanche's huh? Don't you just love em! _Great now I'm stuck, stupid fish…_

_I'd made it out of the frying pan and into the freezer, I thought I was gunna die in this place._

I looked up and saw stairs. I climbed up them and went through the door. I pushed my way through this rock but it was round and it fell so it was easy to roll. I found myself in a circular room, it looked like and arena at first but then I looked around and saw statues so I figured it was some kind of temple. There was wood in the middle that looked like an old camp fire.

I was starving and cold and I didn't think a church would be a place that had food or fire.

"Cold." I started to rub my hands together but it didn't seem to be working.

"Need…fire!" With that I started to go toward loads of empty rooms in one there was an old desk that has flint in and in a corridor there was an old withered bouquet. Happy days!

I made my way back to the circular room and put the bouquet on the fire and rubbed the flint together. After a while the fire began to roar, the only problem now was the food situation. I was tired to go and look for food so I thought id leave till after I slept. It was difficult enough trying to get to sleep with the though something other then me was in this place, but with all the lightning going on it made things all the more difficult. Eventually I settled down and started to have a not so peaceful dream.


	6. New Buddies

_**New friends.**_

Auron stood by my front door looking disappointed.

"What do you want?"

"It was a bad call, you team lost because of you."

Huh?

"You came to say THAT?" He looked troubled; hurt even which was defiantly not like Auron so something must be wrong here.

"It's been… 10 years. I thought you'd be crying."

_10 years? Crying? What's he talking abo- oh._

He walked down to my couch and sat down.

"Who me?"

The strange kid from Zanderkand came through the door.

"You cried."

I was half dreaming half waking up, but I got the feeling I wasn't alone anymore. I whipped my head left and right and found nobody or nothing was there but I did'nt put my guard down, that was until I saw that my only source of heat was hardly there anymore. I crawled on my hands and knees to my once mighty fire in disbelife.

"Wait! Wait! D-Don't go out on me!" But no matter how much I begged, it only went colder and colder.

"Just hold on! I'll get more wood!" As I headed towards the door, the feeling came back I turned round and there, cluching a pole, was a monster with 4 legs and a sharp tail, and in my opinion it looked hungry. I started to back of but no way was I gunna get outta this if I done that. I was desperate for idea until something clicked. I had totally forgotten the sword Auron had given me. I drew my sword and held position, waiting for the monster to make the first move. The monster seemed to understand and ran round the room while on the wall. If this wasn't free running I don't know what is. Then the monster came and jumped right in front of me and attacked my arms with it's tail. It got my sword arm which did'nt help at all, so my left arm had to do.

"Gimme a break!"

After a few minuets of dodging and attacking I heard a loud **crack**. The doors that I never noticed before were blasted open and standing in the middle of the rubble were 5 people wearing strange clothing and goggles. There was a girl in front and behind her were 4 men with guns. The girl had blond hair back in a pony tail. She looked at me and then at the monster and stepped forward towards me. She got into her own fight stance and did a hand signal to the monster which kinda looked like, "Oh yeah, BRING IT ON!" At first I wasn't sure who she was fighting but then she came over to my side and faced the monster while in her fighting stance.

"Oh, your on my side?" She did'nt look over to me just nodded in a "Yes" kinda way.

"Cool!" After we beat it down (With no help from the guys she came with) I looked over to her and she was looking straight at me. She grabbed her goggles and pulled them off so I could see her eyes. Her eyes were green with I kind of twirl in them. She looked at me strangly; as if I should have relised something but instead I put my hands on my knee's and regained my breath.

"That was close." The girl just looked at me for a minuete questionly then looked at the men that back at me. As if in understandment the men came rushing towards me. One of the men grabbed me by the hair and got me up.

"Hey! Lemme go!" I struggeled which only seemed to annoy them. They decided to pull they're guns out and point them at me. I thought it would be good if I stayed still for the time being.

The one that was holding me by the hair decided to speak up.

"Fryd ec drec?" (What is this?) _Fred ek drake? What does that mean? What kind of language is this?_

I listened as the strangers held the conversation.

"Y veaht! Eh risyh teckieca! Oac ed ec cu!" (A fiend! In human disguise! Yes it is so!)By the sound of their voices it did'nt seem as though they were gunna be nice and throw me a party.

The man who was holding me by the hair reached into his pocket and grabbed at knife and held it towards my throught.

"Fa gemm ed?" (We kill it?)

This time all eyes (I guessed) were on the girl.

"Fyed! Fryd ev ed ec risyh?" (Wait! What if it is human?)

The man who had hold of me pointed the knife not at me but at the girl instead.

"Drao yna dra cysa eh taydr." (Both are the same in death.)

"E vunpet ed! Fa pnehk ed fedr ic.(I forbid it! We bring it with us.)

The man let go of me and I started to masarge the part where he yanked half my hair out. The girl walked over to me and put half her body on mind so she could whisper in my ear:

"Cunno," (Sorry) and with that I felt a searing pain go through my groin as i fall to the floor in agony. I begin to feel dizzy as the girl walks away. The last thing I see are 2 of the men walking towards me and... I'm so dizzy and in so much agony I become unconsiouse.

AN: Just so you guys know, I am trying to do this readthrough of memory so if I get anything wrong tell me and i'll sort it out. I already knew the English version of the Al Bhed conversation so all I had to do on that one was find an English to Al Bhed translator. So yeah. R&R Please :)


	7. Ancient Ruins

_**Ancient Ruins**_

I tried to lift up my eyes with no luck. I could tell I was blacked out long because of how weak I felt. I left opening my eyes for about half an hour and thought of concentrating on moving other parts of my body but I heard shuffeling in the background so decided against it. As I felt some of my strenght come back to me, I lifted one of my eye lids to see 2 backs of men. I could also see that we were on some sorta ship, a cargo ship maybe because of the crats I saw. As more and more of my strength came back I began to think of an escape route.

_I could swim away, or I could grab one of the men and force him to tell me where I am or What's going on. I like the second idea!_

I got up as quietly as I could and tiptoes to one of the nearest men. I was nearly there as he turned around and shoved me back.

"Ced, Lybdeja!" (Sit, captive!) He shoved me into some on the crates and I heard a loud snapping sound which I hope was the crate.

"Hey, that hurts!" I try to rub my back but the man has me at gun point.

"Hu sujehk, rayn?" (No moving, hear?) I did'nt have a clue what he said but I figuered i'd better just sit down and shut up.

The door at the back of the ship opened and a man wearing nothing but pants and a huge tatoo on his chest. Following closely behind was the girl from earlier. They walked over towards me and the man says "Caynlr res!" (Search him!) The goes behind me and helps me up. The man is holding goggles and starts grunting and at the same time pointing at the goggles as if he wanted me to wear them. Then he makes actions like he wanted to dive into the water and swin.

"Right. Whatever."

He pointed at the goggles again and said, "Tu oui hud cbayg? (Do you not speak?)

He pointed at me and yet again the goggles then to his face and lastly to the sea.

"I said I don't understand," Me saying this obly seemed to annoy one of the men standing at the side of the main guy.

"Ehcumahla!" He took aim which told me if I don't do as they say they will kill me.

"Fyed!" Piped a small voice from behind me, the girl from earlier seemed the only one on the boat to like me.

Then she said something that really shocked me.

"He said you could stay if you make yourself useful." My eyes widened with shock.

_She speaks English? Bring that up NOW why don't ya!_

"Y-you understand me?" I turned to her and felt a pain at the back of my head. One of the men with a gun made it collide with the back of my skull.

"Alright! I'll work!"

"Great." She looks towards the main guy and says, "Ra cyet ra femm ramb ic." (He said he will help us.)

The main guy looks excited and shouts "Rybbo tyoc!" and starts to jump.

_And to think, I'M immature._

The main guys turns to me and says "Ouin kihhy haat draca." Handing me the goggles.

"What did he say?" I asked the girl.

"That you'd better wear the googles. Were doing something under the water."

I turn back to the guy. "I-DO-NOT-NE-"

"Cyoc ra tuh'd fyhd dras." (Says he don't want them.)

"Ugyo madc tu drec! Kad kuehk cec." (Okay lets do this! Get going sis.)

"Okay, so," She turns to me. "We found some Anceint ruins right beneath us. It's not active now, but there should be some power left and we are going down there to activate it then we should be able to salvage the big prize!"

I tried not to look so bored and stuff but it was actully really difficult in my situation; don't judge me.

"Gotch." Then this girl who was looking so serious suddenly turns into this cheary chick.

"Okay! Let's get to work!"

"Roger!" I jump on the the railing turn round and give a thumbs up and dive in with her following shortly afterwards.

When we were under the water, I could see why they thought I needed the goggles as the water was kinda merky and disgusting.

_Definatly not like a shpere pool or anything like the water in Zanderkand._

I strained my eyes down to the Ruins and saw an enterance.

_ Okay! Let's do this!_


	8. Yevon, Sin and Luca

_**Explanation please!**_

We swam down to the entrance and saw a sign saying :  
"Do not enter highly dangerous." I turned round and looked at the girl and gave her a look that I hoped said "What do we do now?" She only looked at me. After a while she got impatient and shoved me through the entrance. We came to a corridor and at the end of the corridor and a sort of door with a spider pattern on it. In front of the door was a stand with switches on it. I pressed some of the switches but nothing happened so I started to punch and kick it and the door flew open. We passed through another corridor and we came into a room with an upside-down bulb with wires stuck to it. It didn't look fragile to I kicked it and about 10 red lights came.

We turned to leave but we were greeted by piranhas. My instincts were telling me to run/swim and hide the best I could. When I was 11 I had a bad experience with piranhas. I let my feet dangle over my boat house and into the water and after 5 minuets of relaxing I felt a pair of very sharp teeth connect to my ankle. Bloody Piranhas. But I ignored my gut and I fought, even though it wasn't for very long as the girl threw a grenade at them and only one was left from the explosion.

From the explosion was a hole in the wall so we could get out quicker but once again we were stopped by an octopus looking creature. We fought it (again not very long due to the girls grenades) and swam to freedom. When we got outside of the ruins I noticed an extreme change, all the lights were on and were directed to a deep part of the under water world. I swam to the surface to get some air, the boat was in the same place as we left it and the girl popped her head out of the surface and shouted,

"Dra mekrd'c yna uh! Mad'c kad tufh drana!" (The light's are on! Lets get down there!)

About 15 men from the ship jumped over the railing and joined us in the water. Each took deep breaths and swam to where the light was pointing. I swam also and when I got to where all the men were I saw a huge purple ship of some sort. The men started to swim back up to surface and I was dragged along by the girl too. I pulled myself onto the boat and started to walk into the ship like the rest were and I heard them talking.

"Fa vuiht dra yencreb!" (W found the airship!) Said one.

"Dra naluntc fana nekrd." (The record were right.) Said the other.

"Huf, ruf du tnyk ed ib?" (Now how to drag it up?)

As I walked inside one of the men noticed me and pushed me back.

"Oui uidceta!" (You outside!)

I looked at him in disbelief and he disappeared behind the closing door.

"Hey, I helped out didn't I? Hmph! No gratitude whatsoever." I walked over to one of the crates and leaned against it as I sat down. About an hour had pasted and I was lying down with my elbow propped up. My stomach seemed to be on a rampage cuz I hadn't had food in nearly 2 days I was guessing but I felt like a month. I then heard footsteps coming my way but I didn't think anything of it.

_Maybe if I complain they'll notice._

"Hungry." The footsteps continued to come my way and I felt a sharp pain in my elbow as someone had kicked it. I looked up and saw the girl with a tray in her hands. She bent down and put it in front of me. It was a tray of bolognaise, chips and fruit.

_Wow, these guys are fast!_

"WOW! Right on!" I looked from her to the tray, completely ignoring to fork and knife and started to eat with my hand. I was guessing it had just come out on the oven because it was burning my throght. But me being me I didn't stop, I was just SO hungry. It came to the point were I needed to have a nice cold drink to calm my throght. I couldn't see one on the plate and as I was about to jump into the water the girl grabbed me and gave me a canteen. "Hey! Here drink this." It was filled with luscious, cold as ice water. I sat back down and resumed eating like a pig and repeated the act a couple of times.

All she could do is chuckle. "It's cuz you eat to fast." I nodded in agreement.

After I finished I stood up and stretched and chuckled aswell. I turned round and saw the girl looking at me.

"Hello there. I'm Tidus, what is your name?" In all honesty it was a test to see if she really did understand me. She looked at me and after a few moments replied with: "Rikku."

_She really does understand!_

In excitement I grabbed her hands and started to jump around.

"Whoa! You really do understand!" After that I just laughed and laughed until something hit me.

"Um… why didn't you say so earlier?"

Rikku put her hand up in defence and said, "I didn't get a chance you everyone thought oui were a fiend."

"We? I thought they were following your orders or something?"

"Oh, "Oui" means "You"". After explaining she walked over and leaned on the rails.

"Um who are you guys anyway?" She turned round and looked astounded.

"We're Al Bhed. Can't out tell?"

"Wait," she turned and looked at me. "Your not an Al Bhed hater ate you?" She looked really worried at the thought.

"I don't even know what and "Al Bhed" is." Now she was starting to stare.

"Where are you from?"

"Zanderkand. I'm a blitzball player there," at this point I was starting to brag. "Star player of the Zanderkand Abes!" I held my hands up as if to accept applause, but she didn't seem to be clapping, she just frowned as if I was crazy.

"Did you… hit your head or something?"

_What kind of question it that to ask?_

"You guys hit me actually."

"Oh right. Do you remember anything before that?"

I walked over to the railing and leaned as I told her everything and she just stared out at the ocean and listen.

_So I told her everything there was to tell about Zanderkand. About life there, Blitzball and sins attack. AND how Auron and I got engulfed in this light. I just said things as they came to mind but then I started to wonder._

I turned my head to look at her and while I was talking I didn't even notices she went from leaning of her elbows the her back. She also had a very disturbed look on her face.

"Did I say something funny?" She didn't look at me but her face went from disturbed to disbelief.

"You were near sin!" I nodded in agreement. "Uh huh." She turned her whole body to face me and said

"Don't worry you'll be better in no time, they say that your head hets funny when Sin is near," she turned back to the railing and propped up her elbows. "Maybe you just had some kind of dream?"

"You mean I'm sick?" Now I was the one that was staring.

"Because of Sins toxin, yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, there is no Zanderkand anymore. Sin destroyed it 1000 years ago. So no one plays Blitzball there." She got of the railing and settled down by the crates.

I turned to her and said:

"What do you mean "1000 years ago"? I saw Sin attack Zanderkand! Your saying that happened 1000 years ago? No way!"

There was an awkward silence until she spoke up "You said that you play Blitzball?"

"Yeah."

"You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are of you might find someone you recognize."

"Luca?"

She hung her head in my answer. She started to pace around the ship until she jogged up to me and said:  
"Okay! Leave it to me! I'll get ya to Luca. Promise." I just looked at her trying to find out if she was lying or not.

"You would rather stay he-" I cut her off "No!"

"Ok, I'll tell the others. Wait here." She started to head for the doors but turned to look at me.

"Oh, and one thing; don't tell anyone your from Zanderkand ok? Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone."

_Holy place? Are we even talking about the same Zanderkand?_

Instead of arguing I just nodded. I walked over to the crates and leaned against them, refusing to believe what I just heard.

_My Zanderkand? Some kind of holy place? _Year right I thought. Since when?

_Yevon? Sin? Luca?_

I thought Sin just took me to a far away place, and I could go back in a day or two, but 1000 years into the future?

"No way!" I turned and kicked the crates. Then I fell because the ship started to rumble. The door of the ship opened and men came falling out of it shouting: "CEH!" (SIN!)

"CEH EC LUSEHK!" (SIN IS COMING!)

"IHTAN IC! IHTAN IC!" (UNDER US! UNDER US!)

Then there was a huge rumble that sent me flying of the ship and into the sea; were a whirlpool was waiting for me. All I remember after that was looking up at the ship with Rikku and some of the men looking down at me and that I blacked out.

AN: A little bit longer than usual but oh well. R&R Guys!


	9. More new buds

_**More new buddies!**_

I woke up because it want able to breath, I opened my eyes and everything was all fuzzy. I thought that if I breathed I would inhale nice cool air, instead I inhaled nice cool refreshing water. I choked at the realization of this and got my hair above the surface. I looked in front of me and yelled

"RIKKU!" No reply. All I got was eerie silence and then… WHACK! I turned round to see what have hit me and I saw 6 men in a sotra uniform all on a beach. One of them was standing up, the rest doing all sorts of stretches but all looking at me. I was incredibly dizzy from the hit and I was certain that it want the water rocking them side to side. Then I saw it, the source of my pain.

"Blitzball!" I took it in my hands and stared at it. Then I heard a yell from the beach. I looked up and saw that the man who was standing up was now waving his hands and jumping up and down.

"HEY! YOU OKAY?" He stopped jumping and waving knowing that he got my attention.

"HEY!" I waved back and jumped into the water leaving to ball right above me. I twirled and jumped into the air with the ball on my head. As I was falling back down, the ball stayed and I kicked it back at the men. I landed in the water and because of the water in my ears I couldn't hear their reaction but I'm pretty sure I heard something like "Whoa hohohoho!"

I swam to the shore line and I was surrounded. The man who shouted for me had a look on him that told me he was impressed by my move.

"Yo! Hiya."

He stared at me and finally he said while handing me a ball.

"You wanna… try that move… one more time?"

_Finally, things were starting to look up._

I nodded and took the ball from him and placed it by my feet. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I had never does that move on land before. I kicked the into the air and made it land on my head. It bounced of and went sailing into the air. I did a summersalt and kicked it over the water and landed on my feet.

_YEEEESSS! Perfect first try! HAHAHAHAHA!_

All the men by the looks of it were taken aback. I turned and saw that main guy but this time I had a good look at him. He was wearing a blue bandana, a shirt that showed most of his chest and all of his arms and baggy trousers. His hair was styled in a sorta quife and it was orange all over. He looked at me in astonishment and said: "You no amateur! Who you play for?"

Completely forgetting what Rikku told me, I replied: "The Zanderkand abes!"

Then there was a whisper going around the other men.

"Zanderkand? What is this guy talking bout?"

"What team you say again?" Said the man with the quife. He was frowning like the rest of them.

Me, realizing what I said recovered (I thought) with

"I mean… forget that! I got to uh… close to Sin and my heads all foggy-like. So I don't know where this place is, or even where I came from." With that I hung my head and was silent.

I looked back up at the man and had his eyes open wide.

"Sin's toxin got to ya, But your still alive. Praise be to Yevon," and he did a sort of bow with his hands in a circle. After he was done he looked up at me and turned round.

"Alright back to practise!" All of the men except for this guy goes and grabs a blitzball. He turns back to me and introduces him.

"I'm Wakka, Coach and captain of the Besaid Aurochs, Brudda." And gives me a high five.

"And I'm Tidus… the guy from the sea." As I said that my stomach gave a very loud growl.

No use trying to hide it; I was starving.

"What? You hungry?" I nodded and Wakka says "Ok, back to the village, I'll get ya something."

We headed down a road which lead to a sorta metal building when I stopped.

_I felt that I could trust this… Wakka. So I just had to ask._

"Um, it's true Zanderkand was destroyed right? 1000 years ago. So it's just a big pill of rubble now, isn't it?

He turned to me and said "Long time ago, there were a lot of cities in Spira with machina, machines, to run 'em. People played Blitzball ALL day and let the machina do that work. Then one day, well take a look," he pointed to his side where a big ruin was laid. "Sin came and destroyed the machina cities, and Zanderkand along with 'em. Yeah that was 'bout 1000 years ago, like you said. If you ask me, Sin's our punishment for letting things get outta hand, but what gets me it we gotta suffer for what some goof-balls did way back when! Course, we must always repair for our Sins, that important! It's just that, its hard to keep at it sometimes, ya know?"

_It was just as Rikku said. Rikku and Wakka couldn't both be lieing. Why would they._

Than Wakka have a hearty laugh and got me in a head lock.

"But you from the Zanderkand Abes! That was a good one huh? Hey, I'm not sayin that team never existed ya, but ya gotta figure, a team livin in luxury like that would be pretty soft eh?" and patted me on the head and walked onward.

_I appreciated the fact that Wakka was trying to cheer me up, but at that time, all I could think about was, everything that happened to me, all this, started with Sin. Maybe if I could find Sin one more time, I could go home. For now, I just lived life until that time came. Not worrying about where or when I was. Sure it was hard not to think of home, but I started to feel better already. A little better, maybe._

Than I followed Wakka to what looked like a lake but it was about 20 feet below us.

"Hey it's this way!" He called out to me.

I walked over and looked down to the water.

_Huh? What he playing at?_

I turned to ask something but he wasn't there. Then I felt a shove and I fell into the water. I looked up to see Wakka laughing and then he jumped in too.

"What's the big idea?"

We swam over to a huge circulat place and I kept swimming until I felt someone hold me back from moving.

"Hey lemme go!"

"I got a favour to ask ya." Came Wakka's voice.

I already knew what it was.

"You want me on your team right?" Then he let go of me and I sank about half way to the sea ben and that came back up to the surface.

"A major Blitz tournament is coming up and all the teams in Spira'll be there. It SO big I'm sure someone there will recognize you! What d'ya say huh? C'mon! C'mon!"

I just laid on my back in the water and thought about it.

_If I go to Luca, like Wakka and Rikku said, I might find someone who I recognize or someone who might recognize me. But what if I don't? Will he leave me there or bring me back here?_

"Sure thing." I swam front my back to my front and then to see what was under that water.

"Dude… our team is gunna rock ay?" Wakka said and than followed me down to the seas bed and rocks.


	10. Besaid

_**Besaid**_

I got out on the water and followed Wakka up a slope and he stopped and looked down at the little houses and huts. I guessed this is where he lived.

"This is where I was born I started Blitz when I was 5, I joined the Aurochs at 13 10 years ago. 10 years… and we never won a game." I looked over at him shocked.

_No victory in 10 years? Whoa…_

"Well, after last tournament, I quit. Time seemed right." He walked towards a downward slope and explained more.

"So after quitting, I got this new job ya. But everytime my mind wondered, I thought about the game."

_No wonder._

"10 years without a single win will do that." I don't think he saw I was trying to cheer him up.

"Hmmm, the first match last year was my big chance. But something else was on my mind, I couldn't focus."

I just thought that he was making that up.

"Nice excuse! So you wanna win the next tournament? Go out with a bang?"

He turned to me and no offence to Wakka, but he looked kinda desperate and he nodded.

"Ok so what our goal?" I said as I folded my arms over my chest.

"I don't care how we do as long as we play our best. We give it our all, I can walk away happy."

_I've heard it all now _I though.

"No no no no no! If I say "Whats our goal", you say "victory"! When you play in a Blitz tourney, you play to win!"

He looked at me as though I had made a new discovery. "V-Victory? You serious?" I nodded.

We headed down the slope and I noticed to men there, one with Red hair and purple pants, the other with brown hair and a green top.

"Ah! The one from the sea!" Said the red-head. I nodded.

"Be on guard. There are fiends on the road today!" Said the brunet.

"After your run-in with Sin it would be a shame if something happened now." They turned and entered the village.

"Who are they?" I asked.

"Luzzu and Gatta, Crusaders."

"Crews-of what?"

"What you forgot that to!" I hung my head in embarrassment and Wakka got sympathetic.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Don't worry 'bout it, ill help you out."

"Cool, In return come tournament time, I'll make sure we take the cup!"

I could tell that got his attention. "Cool. Oh, and about the crusaders, you can ask them yourself. They got a lodge in the village."

We headed into the village and there was an entryway right in front of the village, I only saw 6 huts, 3 on one side 3 on the other and a church or a temple at the far back from the entrance. Wakka came up behind and around me and started to head into the centre of the village.

"Besaid village."

My stomach was winning over my curiosity of the place.

"Got any food here?" Wakka just looked at me and chuckled.

"We'll get ya something ova there later. Take a look around first. Let's see," He looked around and his eyes were fixed on a big blue hut. "The crusaders lodge is over yonder, Luzzu and Gatta are usually there." He wondered of and went half way into the middle hut on the right hand side and stopped in his tracks as if he remembered something. "Oh right," he come out of the hut and came past me. "Over here!" Me being totally puzzled reply with "Huh? What's up?" He made me follow him back through the archway and turned. "You do remember the prayer, right?"

_I didn't know it in the first place, to tell the truth._

"Um… I don't know any prayers."

_Of course I had never prayed before in my life not that he would know that._

Wakka's face went from curious to absolute shock.

"You uh, must have forgot or something, here I'll show you." He took a few steps away from me and got into a position where one of his knee's were bent and he was leaning on it and his arms were spread. He brought his arms over his head and while standing up straight has his hands in a circle like sign. While still in that position, he bows and looks at the floor. He looks from the floor to me and smiles.

"Go ahead you try too."

I did the same as he did a few moments ago and he looks please. "Eh, not bad, ok now go present yourself to the temple summoner." He pats me on the back and goes into the hut.

_Any Blitzball player would know that prayer. It was the Blitzball sign for victory._

I put down my hands and look over the village. Wakka had said go to the temple and something about a summoner, so of to the temple I go. I walk up the temple step and some of the people who are coming out look at me strangely, as if they had never seen another human in their life. "Hiya." I say with a small smile and a wave. But all they did was hurry along and run into their huts. I walk into the temple and there must be at least 75 statues all around the sides.

_It was then standing in that place, I began to relize how different this world was from my own._

The one statue that stood out to me was not around the sides but next to a large set of stairs. One thing I didn't notice until know was a song was playing in the background. _I've heard this before, where have I heard this song before?_ I bring my attention back to the statue and look more closely. It was a man wearing strange robes and headdress holding a staff.

"10 years have passed since Lord Braska became High Summoner, and finally we receive a statue for our temple." Said a voice behind me. I turned to see a man in robes and shaved head._ A monk most probably._ But I'd heard of a summoner, but a high summoner?

"Um… what's a high summoner?" I didn't know anybody was listening but when I asked the question, there where gasps behind me. I turned and there was nearly all the people that were in the temple behind me, even the people who were praying stopped in mid-pray and stared.

_Say something you idiot!_

"Um I-I got to close to Sin's, errr, toxin!" The man/monk I was talking to took a step away from me and his eyes were opened wide with amazement. I could practically hear his thoughts: _and your still alive? _

_It was funny hearing me say the same excuse over and over, funny but a little sad. _

He did the prayer Wakka had shown me and began to explain.

"The summoners are practitioners of a sacred art, sworn to protect the people of Yevon. Only a choosen few become summoners, who call forth entities of great power; the Aeons. The Aeons here out prayers and come down to us. They are the blessing of Yevon." After his explaination he and everybody else in the temple did the prayer.

_So what he meant was that we should respect some kind of great men or something like that I figured._

After the prayer I left the temple in search of Wakka's hut. My starvation was replaced with tiredness and aching. After I found the correct hut Wakka was there sitting in front of a huge cauldron. Before I could say anything he said "Sorry man, no time for lunch yet. Take a nap! You look bushed." Looks like it was showing way to much. I figured nothing bad would come from me getting a little shut-eye.

Boy was I wrong.


	11. A summoner is born

_**A summoner**_

I woke up in my bed back in Zanderkand. I looked over at my clock, it was 9:46 in the morning. For a start I knew things where different because as soon as I got up I noticed I was closer to the ground. I went into my bathroom and looked into the mirror. I was no longer the shabby, blonde haired 17 year old, oh no, I was back to being the cry baby brown haired 7 year old. I washed, dressed and met my mom in the living room. She was sat on the couch watching TV while she fiddled with her fingers nervously. I went into the kitchen, made breakfast, ate it and walked back into the living room. Mom was now listening intently to the local narrator at the time, Tablor.

_I don't know if word has reached you yet people of Zanderkand but, the star player of the Zanderkand abes has vanished! No trace of him what-so-ever!_ Mom was now in tears as she listened. _That's right everybody, out Jecht vanished last night at approximately 9am yesterday morning. His team mates say he was in the middle of training when they felt waves crashing up against them and their boat. When the rumbling stopped, Jecht had-_ Mom had turned of the TV by that point. She was crying a river now; she didn't even bother to stop them. I made her a cup of coffee and brought it to her. She took it with one arm and was hugging me in the other. She was about to say something when there was a loud knock at the door.

Mom went outside and there was a huge crowd surrounding the boat-house. A man that I recognized was there as well. _He was on dad's team. _I thought.

"Sorry madam, but still no trace. It's been nearly a day already." Mom was still crying even when everyone was watching.

"Perhaps-y-you could-go l-look for us." She managed to say between sobs.

The man looked very sympathetic. I hated him for that. "People are searching for him now." And he walked away.

"Thank-y-you."

"Who cares if he comes back or not!" I say in pure anger and hate.

Mom turns to me and I see her eyes are all red and puffy. "But he might die!"

_Like I care!_ "Fine! Let him!"

Mom sat on her knees so she was level with me. "Do you… do you hate him so?"

_What? Is it not obvious enough?_

I gave a nod, but she shakes her head. "But if he dies, you will never be able to tell him how much you hate him." I considered this for a moment and when I came up with something to say, everything went blank.

I wake up for real now in Wakka's hut in Besaid, but Wakka isn't here. He has put out the fire and left a note on the cauldron saying, "If you need me, I'll be at the temple." I'm not even hungry anymore so I leave the hut and head for the temple, people are in a crowd outside it and I barge through and enter it. Wakka is in front of the staircase with the monk from earlier. There is a concerned look on the monks and Wakka's face as they stare at the door above the staircase.

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

Wakka nods and replies "The summoner hasn't returned from the trial." I haven't got a clue what he is on about at this point.

"Eh?" I say in a state of confusion.

"Well, apprentice summoner really. There's a room in there called the cloister of trial, beyond it where the apprentice summoner prays. If the prayers are heard, the apprentice becomes a fully fledged summoner, remember?" He looked from the door to me as if he asked a question. Oh wait he did.

"Yeah, I think so. Someone's in there and they haven't come back out, I think I got it."

Now he looked serious, "A day has already gone by."

"Uh, is it particularly dangerous in there?" I ask looking up at the door.

He looked down at me and nods. "Sometimes, yes."

"Why don't you go in and help?"

"There are already guardians in there, besides its forbidden." Now that set me off, they were prepared to let someone die, just because there are rules? Well in my opinion, rules are there to be broken.

I run up the stairs and turn to face them. "What if something happens? What if the summoner… dies?"

The monk looks shocked as he did early that day and shouts "The presets must be obeyed!" Stupid rules!

"Like I care!" I push the doors open and walk through leaving a temple full of people gasping and confused.

I walk into a room where there and 4 walls and on one of them there is a glowing tattoo on the wall. Oh great, I forgot Wakka said something about trials. Well after putting different types of balls in their assigned holes I finally got there. A wall behind me shattered and a pedestal appeared. I put the remaining ball into the socket it had and pushed it onto the pattern of a circle on the floor. Then the pattern adds colour and it now looks like a lift type thing. Then there was a voice behind me. "Hey, what's gotten into you?" I turned round to see Wakka standing there frowning at me. As I was about to explain he walks up pats me on the shoulder and says "Hey, it's ok. Only Summoners, Apprentice summoners and their guardians can enter here. It's a tradition, very important." I still don't see why he isn't worried about going to the room, why is he allowed in?

"So what about you"? He looks and folds his arms across his chest. "Me? I'm a guardian."

_Oh okay, I guess that- wait._

"A guardian?" Wakka hangs his head and sighs at my question. Then the lift starts to go into motion at he go down.

"Summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira. Guardians protect them."

_Oh yeah Guard mean to Protect. Stupid question._

Wakka walks on the lift and sighs. "There are guardians in there now. One of them has got a SHORT fuse, and who knows what the other's thinking. Well, now that we have come this far, might as well go all the way. He walks into the room and I follow. He come into a room that has decorations and flowers everywhere. They is a woman sitting on steps that lead up to another door, and a cat like human thing standing by the wall beside her. As soon as we enter the room Wakka puts his hand on his head. The woman seeing Wakka gets up and walks right up to him, she didn't seem to notice me. She was wearing a black dress made of belts which I though was… interesting.

"What are you doing here? Didn't think we could handle it?" She looks Wakka right in the eye and waits for him to answer.

"Uh no its-you see…" She turns round and shakes her head. Wakka keeps his voice low to I would but she wouldn't hear. "See, I told you she gets mad easy." I tap her on the shoulder and she gives me daggers, but when she actually see's its not Wakka, she frowns and her eyes got wide.

"Is the summoner alright?" But she answers my question with another question. "Who are you…?"

I don't have time to answer. There is a rumbling in the room up the stairs. The woman, Wakka and the kitty all look up to watch the doors open. When I see who comes out of it I was shocked. A beautiful woman (Brown hair to her shoulders, wearing a dress and a blue earring in her right ear) around about my age wearing a dress stumbles out of the doorway and looked down at us. She isn't looking at anything in particular, she was dizzy most probably, but when her eyes come to rest on me, she winces and blinks rapidly as if she had just seen a ghost. Then her legs give way and she starts to fall down the stairs. The cat thing catches her before she could make half way. She looks at it confidently and stands up using him for balance. She then looks down at us, in more focus this time and flings her hair back over her shoulders. She looks down at the woman, to Wakka then to me for a while than back at Wakka and the woman. I see sweat coming from her brow, her forehead and neck.

Finally she speaks and blurts out "I've done it! I have become a summoner!" And she just smiled after wards coming down the stairs and being hugged by the woman.


	12. Many meetings

_**New meetings & Aeons**_

The woman just hugged the girl and Wakka walks up and gives her a pat on the back. She turns round and looks at kitty and he smile and wonders back into the trials. As were about to set of after him, the girl looks at me and looks at me questioningly. I raise my eye brows and she finds she's being totally rude, looks at me apologetically and wonders into the trials with the woman not to fat behind her. Wakka grabs my arm and walks me through the trials.

"So. You remember anything yet? Watching someone become a summoner… bring back any memories?"

"Uh… no. Why would watching someone become a summoner bring back any memories?"

"It's just that, I don't know anything about you, ya. And for all I know you could be a guardian or a crusader."

I somehow cant imagine myself in the sorta clothing as Luzzu and Gatta. I try but the result only makes me laugh very loudly and hysterically. Everybody in the trials turns and looks at me.

"Sorry." I say as I scratch my head trying to cover the embarrassment. We arrive at the entrance and everyone is in the temple crowded around the stairs, doing the prayer.

_Why do it constantly?_

Everyone spreads out and goes outside until I'm the only one left. I go outside and there's a crowd in the middle of the village. I walk toward it when I feel a horrible pressure on my neck. "Wait till ya see this," I hear gasps from people at Wakka pushes through the crowd with my head in his head lock.

"I cant see anything!" As struggle out of his head lock and massage my neck.

"Ready." He waves to the girl and she turns and says simply "Ok."

She walks into the middle of the crowd with a staff in her hand and poses with her arms and legs spread. At the same time a pattern appears before her feet as she stands still and lights shoot out of the pattern and go towards the sky. Clouds spread and a sort of cocoon drops from the sky. The cocoon opens and forms the shape of a bird (The wings acting at the cocoon) and it land heavily in front of the girl. The girl walks towards it slightly and lets one hand go towards the bird while she's shutting her eyes, scared about what might happen next. The bird sniffs her hand and then leans into it. The girl opened her eyes and sees the bird ask for grooming and she smiles. She turns and runs toward the woman and Wakka.

The crowd roar as the bird jumps into the sky and flies towards the heavens.

_I'd never seen anything like it my life. Sure it was a little scary but still, I could feel a strange kind of gentleness coming from it. _

"What are you going to call it?" The woman asks her. She considers this for a moment and replies "Valefor."_ What a strange name. _The crowd start to go into they're tents and some of the men and younger men go of into the woods while the girl is being escorted back into the temple my the cat.

Wakka comes up to me. "Well? Whad'ya think?"

"What was that thing?" He looked away, shakes his head and chuckles. "That, my friend, is what we call an Aeon." _Aeon? Yeah the monk told me earlier._

"THAT'S an Aeon?" When I first heard of an Aeon I pictured something a little more smaller.

"Yup. Come on go rest up. We'll be having a celebration tonight. Gunna be a tireing event. Oh and I'll have to introduce you to the team also, so you rest up ya?"

I was feeling a litty drowsy so a few hours sleep cant hurt.

"Yeah sure." I walk into the hut and there is the woman sitting on the couch eating fruit. As I walk in she stops eating and looks at me.

"Yes?" She gives me daggers as I try to explain.

"W-Wakka told me t-to rest up for the… uh, celebration tonight. He told me to sleep here, but I can go somewhere else, you know if it's too much of a problem." She looks at me and says "Who are you supposed to be?"

The question takes me aback as I expected her to yell at me. Wakka's words come flying back to me.

"One of them has got a SHORT fuse." "See, I told you she gets mad easy." As I remember I decide I better ask before I regret it. "T-Tidus."

She looks me up and down and frowns. She gets up and goes towards the door. I ask her name in return and she replies, "Lulu. Get some sleep."

I peak through the curtain and I see Wakka get a glimpse of Lulu and he retreats to the woods as she looks for him. I settle down on the bed and look up towards the top of the hut.

_I remember, that night we talked for the first time. I didn't know it them but that night, everything changed. For everyone. For me._

I slowly go of to sleep and it feels like immediately I'm awakened by the sound of Wakka's scared voice and shoves. "Quick! Get up ya? The celebration it about to start! Get up!" I open my eyes and there is Wakka leaning over me just about to tip water over me. I force the jug away as Lulu storms into the hut.

"Where have YOU been! Everyone's been looking for you!" I already see why Wakka got me up at this specific time. Lulu.

"Iv been getting the wood ya." He looks at me for back up as she screeches and storms off.

"Wow…" I sit up and look at Wakka. "What's her problem?" But Wakka doesn't answer just get me up and out of the hut. The sky is pitch black and the only source of light is the fire in the middle of the village and just outside the temple. I can see the Besaid team sat in a circle and they look over at me and Wakka. Wakka marches me to them as they stand up.

"Lemme introduce you to the team." He grabs my forearm and pushes me a little towards them.

"This guy here wants into the tournament so bad, I let him on the team. His memory's a little fussy so don't mind him if he says anything odd." He pushes me toward them again while saying "C'mon say Hi!" I stumble a bit and regain my balance. The team is looking at me and is waiting for me to say something. "Uh, Hi guys." From here and there are parts of Hi's and Yo's.

"So what's out goal?" I expect to hear "Victory!" but when I hear "To do our best!" Instead, I look straight at Wakka.

"Nope. We gotta new goal now. Our new goal is Victory! To win every match, to defeat every opposing team! To bring the crystal cup back to our island. That all we gotta do to win. Easy, ya?"

The team looks shocked but quickly let the new goal sink in and they already like it better that the old one. There are shouts now. "Victory! Victory! Victory!" Something stops me from smiling. I got the feeling someone was watching me.

_Maybe the kid from Zanarkand? But wait, no. That apparently happened 1000 years ago._

I look round and see that the girl who became a summoner it looking right at me. She smiles and takes a drink of her cup.

_Maybe I should apologize about earlier. I shouldn't of been in there._

I walk pars the team and Wakka is following my every move. So is Lulu who is sitting at the far end of the village. But I'm still going forward. As I approach I hear someone yelling at me. "You heathen!"

An old man sitting beside the girl looks at me in disgust. An old woman next to him shouts

"Stay away from the summoner!" A child who is playing with the girl stands up and says

"You're a bad man!" Then the girl and stands up and the 3 look at her questioningly.  
"Lady Yuna, be careful_._" She smiles and says "But, it was really my fault to begin with."

She walks up to me smiling and starts the convocation. "I'm Yuna. Thank you so much for you help earlier." As she talks I realize I'm starting to blush. Also the colour of her eyes. One is Ocean Blue like mine, and the other is Emerald Green, like Rikku's… I wonder who she is doing.

"Uh, I'm sorry about that. Wasn't I not supposed to? Guess I kinda over reacted." As this point I'm blushing like mad from embarrassment so I scratch my head in an attempt to hide it, until I find I do it way to much. _Great. Now she'll think I've got lice. _But she doesn't seem to mind, or even notice.

"No. I was… overconfident." She looks down to the floor as an awkward silence falls on us. After a few moments I decide to break it.

"Uh, I saw that Aeon thing… that amazing." This defiantly got here attention.

"Really?" She looks at me and I nod. Her smile becomes bigger.

"Do you think I could become high summoner?" I nod again and there a voice from behind. "Lady Yuna, come play with me some more?" She looks down at the girl and nods, smiling.

She stands back up straights and says, "So, tomorrow then." _Tomorrow what?_

"Tomorrow?" She nods again. "Were going on the same boat aren't we?"

_Oh yeah, the tournament. But why is she coming?_ More word from Wakka the wise come back to me.

"Summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira." _Oh yeah. She's a summoner isn't she?_

"We can talk more." She turns to go and sit down but cranes her neck. "You can tell me all about Zanarkand!" She takes her place and plays some sort of game with the kid. I hear footsteps behind me as I stare at Yuna. I feel a poking in my ribs as Wakka elbows me. "She's cute, ya?"

_Cute? Cute is way to basic for her. I would try something like Beautiful._

"Yeah!" Wakka's playful face turns into a serious one. "Don't get no ideas."

"No promises there, big guy. But what if she, like, comes on to me?"

Wakka looked sad at this comment. "That's not going to happen." He decided to change the subject before me. "If you get tired let me know. I got a bed made for you." With that he walks of. I take one last look at Yuna and tell Wakka I'm beat and I'm of to a HUGE lodge where 15 beds are in and no way near squashed together. I lie down on one of the middle beds and settle down of to sleep.


	13. Leaving the village

_**Leaving the village.**_

I was sitting at the Besaid dock waiting for the boat to come. Boats can sure take their time. I get up and walk over to Yuna who was watching closely for the vessel.

"Where's that boat?" I ask in frustration. She looks nervous herself.

"Everyone with find us if it doesn't come soon." She looks at me and gets back to peeling her eyes for the boat.

"You really sure this is ok?" Instead of answering the way I expected she asks, "Will you… take me to Zanerkand?" She looks at me with pleading eyes and I could do nothing but nod. Then I here a familiar voice behind me.

"Hey!" Said the voice of Rikku. I turn and there she is running right towards us. "You said you would go with me! I thought Wakka told you not to get any idea's!" To this, Yuna looks at me and frowns. "He did?"

"Yeah, so your coming with me." After Rikku finishes, theirs another voice behind me, one I haven't heard in 10 years. "Hey! Stop dreaming!" I turn and see my old man there. Yuna and Rikku run over to his side and smile. "You with a woman? You cant even catch a ball!" I get put my hands to my ears attempting to block out his voice but it doesn't work. "Awww, what's the matter? Gunna cry again? Cry cry! That's the only thing your good for!" I've had enough. I hate him so much at this point and if I don't tell him now im gunna explode with anger. "I hate you." I say in the smallest voice possible.

"Eh? Whadya say?" Yuna in the back ground decides to give me some encouragement. "You have to speak loudly!" Not wanting to disappoint, I shout "I hate you!"

Rikku sure is enjoying herself as is Yuna. "That's the spirit!" Blurts out Rikku. "You can do it!" Says Yuna. I cant take it anymore.

I shoot straight up in my bed and shout "I HATE YOU!"

"He's dead okay, dead." I recognise Lulu's voice and get up towards the curtains so I can ease drop.

I peak through a hole and see Lulu and Wakka facing each other.

"He does look a lot like Chappu. I was surprised to, the first time I saw him." _Wait they're talking about me. And who is Chappu._

"But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu! You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place!" Wakka looks a little guilty and sad while Lulu looks Angry and Fierce.

In his defence, Wakka says "Yeah but, he needed our help." Lulu only looks even more Angry. "Excuses again?" More defence, "Yeah, but…" It seemed Lulu had had enough.

"That's it. No more. Enough Wakka!" She storms into her hut never to be seen again. Wakka stumbles forward to follow her but he sees its not the best thing to do. He puts his arms down in defeat and walks over to the lodge where I was listening. As he walks into the lodge, he is greeted by me watching him. "Scary." Wakka nods in agreement and sits down on a bed. I go to the bed opposite him and decide to press further into the matter. "So… who's Chappu?" Wakka smiles at the question and replies, "My little brudda, Chappu. He looked like you."

All I can feel for Wakka is sympathy. "He's dead?" He lies down and his bed watching the ceiling.

"He was with the crusaders when they fought Sin last year. He didn't make it. I first heard on the day of the tournament." _Oh, now that makes sense._ Wakka was preoccupied with the death of his brother when he was playing the match. "Oh, so that's why." He nods. "I became a guardian to fight Sin ya."

Well it did make sense. "Revenge then?"  
"That was the idea. I'm more worried now about a stupid game then avenging my brudda. Well, after this years tournament, I'll be a guardian full-time. I know it kinda looks like I'm using you, but I'm not."

"Don't worry. I mean, I owe you a lot. You really helps me out ya know?" I hold out my hand for him to shake and continue "What I mean is… Thanks, Wakka." He looks at my hand and then starts to giggle and blush. "He he, Stop, your embarrassing me!" Then we hear a very hissing "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" coming from one of the others in the lodge.

"Better get to bed ya. We heading of early tomorrow. Get some sleep ya?" Wakka's suggestion really gets hold of me as I start to yawn. "Yeah, night." I plump myself onto the bed and start to dose of.

I wake up to the smell of sweat fresh fruit. I squint my eyes and turn my head to the left and see a steaming hot bowl of porridge and a tray of fruit beside it. "Whoa! Cheers!" I eat my breakfast and head outside to see Wakka and Lulu standing awkwardly beside each other. I walk toward them and notice Wakka is holding something in his right hand. "Aye, Sleepy head! Something I wanna give ya." He extends his right hand towards me and I see a big blue sparkling sword. I'm not sure if I was seeing things, but I think I saw I hint of fire I'm Lulu's eyes as she looked at Wakka to the sword and then to me.

"Whoa! Your giving this, to me?" I take the sword and examine it.

"Yeah use it well." I swing it around my head and hold it in front of my face. I can see the smile on my face from the reflection of the sword.

"That's the sword you gave Chappu." Lulu says quietly. Wakka's face seemed to have dropped as well as mine. "Well, he never used it." He says while shrugging his shoulders. He takes a moment to think of something so get of the subject and says, "Where's Yuna?" I don't see the point in waiting for here, to tell the truth.

"Were taking the same boat as Yuna right? Why do we gotta wait here?" Lulu looks at me as if I insulted her. Wakka speaks up before she does. "Yuna came to this village 10 years ago, when the last calm started." I have to interrupt him for a sec, not like he took any notice. "The calm?" I ask but he just ignored me. "Since then, she's been like a sister to me and Lulu, but she had the talent and she became an apprentice. Now today, she leaves as a summoner." Lulu decides to take it from there. "This is out journey. We should leave together." As she finishes, there was rustling from the temple. Yuna is there with a huge trunk. _What is she expecting to do? Roll it to the boat?_

Lulu doesn't seem to want to take it. "You really don't need all that luggage."

"Uh, they're not really my things. Th-They're gifts to the temples were to visit." Wakka only frowns at this. "This isn't a vacation Yuna." Yuna lets out a sigh in defeat. "I guess… I guess your right." She leaves the trunk in front of the temple and walks towards us and gives us a small smile. She reaches and Wakka says, "Ok. Of we go."

Yuna walks behind us as we walk with her head down. We reach the entrance and I cant hear her footsteps anymore. I turn and see Yuna praying towards the village. Saying good-bye for now I suppose.

We walk up the slope towards the monument and we hear a growl. Wakka has his weapon in his hand (A Blitzball) and makes me stop too while Yuna and Lulu wait behind us. "Here comes one now!" A wolf like fiend started to run at us and Wakka says "Why don't you try out that sword I gave you?" With a quick slash, the fiend is dead, but the strange thing I don't mention is when I kill it, strange lights start to appeared from the body. After the lights disappear, the body is gone.

_No wonder I didn't get any food when I first came to here. _I thought.

Instead of wondering about the lights and the fiend I say "No problem!"

Wakka seemed impressed. "Not too shabby. You kept up with him pretty well. Might make a good guardian someday." Then a bird comes into the scene and Wakka shouts out in delight "A flyer! My kinda customer!" He threw his Blitzball at the bird and it fell to the ground exploding with lights.

We hear Lulu say, "Ok, now you two have stopped wasting time can we move on?"

We continue up the slope and a jelly like blob jumps in front of us. "That, looks like trouble." Wakka says. Trouble I don't know what he could be talking about. "Ha! Watch this!" I slash at the fiend to find that my blade slowly glides through the jelly and doesn't seem to effect it at all.  
"Told ya! Only magic can beat that thing. If ya cant beat 'em down, you have to use the magic of an element they don't like." He tries to exlain it but he just confuses me more. "Magic? Element?"

Wakka sighs and gives up. "Lets have our black mage show you what I mean. Lu, your up!" Lulu comes from behind Wakka and me and takes her place beside Wakka. "Clueless aren't you? Good thing im here. Spells of ice work well against fire fiends. And Ice fiends are weak against fire magic. You follow?" She directs this at me and I reply "I get fire and ice, but what about lightning and water?"

"Lightning and water are oppsed, just like fire and ice. This one here is a water fiend which means…?"

I get the felling this is another question pointed at me. "Uh, Lightning of thunder?" Lulu doesn't look impressed, just that same as always.

_Wow. Might take a bit more to impress here. Wait, why do I want to impress Lulu?_

"Correct." She lifts here hands and a bolt of lightning comes down and strikes the blob and it melts and yet again, the lights pour out of the body. "So when you beat a fiend and kill it, what are the lights that appear from the body?" I ask this question hoping I don't sound completely idiotic. "They're called Pyreflies." Yuna says from behind. We continue up the sloop. We arrive at the monument, Yuna and Lulu looks down at the village like Wakka had done the day before and Lulu says out of the blue "Take your time."

Without realising I shout "Lets get going man!" Wakka fold his arms over his chest and replies, "Were gunna wait." Yuna walks over to us and Wakka says, "Are you ready?" Yuna nods and starts to pray in front of the monument. Lulu walks by Wakka, nods as Yuna did and starts to do the same. "What's going on?" I ask. Wakka starts to pray and in the middle of it he explains. "Its an ancient custom. People leaving the island pray here for a safe trip. Chappu didn't pray that day. Said he'd miss his boat." And continues to pray. "C'mon, you pray to ya?" I get down on my knees and do as Wakka does. After were done with the prayers we take the round down to some ruins and I run in lead.


	14. Start of the pilgrimage

_**Start of the pilgrimage**_

I walked down to the ruins and I hear a loud BANG! Wait no 2 BANGS! Wait Thr- a number of loud noises. I look up and just jump outta the way when the Blue cat jumps in front of me. And lemme tell ya, he don't look like he's in a good mood. He pounds away at the floor as I back away and his head shoots up and looks at me. I stop dead and wish I had stayed with the others. He has a spear with him and just after he gives of a roar, he starts attacking me. I defend myself but it doesn't seem to be any use. Nearing the end of the battle, im battered and bloody and just when the cat was just about to deliver the final blow,  
"That's enough!" Wakka it standing right behind me with his arms folded over his chest. The cat gets from his fighting position and shakes his head. Wakka walks past me and taps the cat on the shoulder and he disappears down the road. Yuna and Lulu follow shortly after and I ask "What's with that guy?"

For once Lulu doesn't looks at me as if im a total idiot. "Kimahri Ronso, of the Ronso Tribe. He's learned the fiend's way of fighting." I thought she was gunna give me some useful information, but she didn't. "That's not what I meant." Wakka speaks up from behind. "He's another of Yuna's guardians." There's a laugh behind us. Yuna walks from behind Lulu and say "Sometimes we don't understand him either. Kimahri doesn't talk much anyway. But he has protected me since I was a child."

We continue down the path but there is a HUGE change. It seemed that the closer we got to the boat, the quieter everyone became and I was not liking this atmosphere. It changed when a flying fiend came everyone got into position. I remember Wakka telling me that birds are his reasonability so I thought that he would jump right in, but then I saw the size if the thing and saw Wakka's face; without a doubt if we ran into another one of these Wakka was gunna need some extra clothing.

"A flyer! That your department, Right?" Wakka just stood as still as possible, trying to find a way out of it I guessed. "True, true, but er… Why don't we let our summoner show us what she's made of!" A swift recover I thought giggling to myself. On queue, Yuna came in with her staff in hand. Now trying to get me to believe he got Yuna out here for practise Wakka says, "Your first real battle, lets see some style!"

"Show us what your training has taught you, Yuna." This was encouragement from Lulu. "Okay!" Yuna replies quickly. She looked like she was trying to remember something but then she shouts out "Stand back!" Wakka is the first to get clear (Surprise Surprise) and me and Lulu get behind him. The pattern is below Yuna's feet again when she poses and the bird known as Valefor drops from the sky only this time it doesn't land in from of Yuna but stays floating in mid-air facing the fiend. Yuna shouts out loads of things like "Attack!" and "Sonic wings!" and Valefor just keeps on attacking the bird until its dead. After that we walk down a series of pathways till we get to the beach. A load of people are the; monks, villagers ect. I walk behind the others and 6 people stop me to say things like, "Use this to protect the lady Summoner" or "Make sure you keep her safe, boy." I get given all sorts or things like bottles of antidote and potions. We slowly head on to the boat and everyone is gathered round the dock. People are doing the prayer and crying._ It's not like you never gunna see her again, right? _I thought about this for a minuet and by the way everyone is acting it's as if people are never gunna see her again. When we get on the boat there are waitresses holding bowls and plates full of fruit. I take a mango and eat.

Yuna slowly walks on to the boat and a horn is blown. She waves and does the prayer as well as everyone else. She looks as if was going to cry but I can see she holding back the tears as well as she can. "Good-bye." The boat starts to sail through the water but Yuna doesn't move until Besaid is totally out of sight and then wonders around the boat with Kimahri. I also wonder around and look over the boat from time to time to look at the scenery. The only place I know in Zanarkand that has scenery like this is the sea at dawn. _Don't think of Zanerkand! _I finish eating the mango and toss the seed into the water and notice there's a man looking through binoculars not to far from me looking around at the sites. I take this as an opportunity and try to steal them. Sure there where binoculars on sale but the truth is im not gunna spend 350 gil on binoculars and I was most probably gunna use them this one time.

The man is looking through them until I jump on his back trying to snatch them of him._  
This guys got grip!_ I tugged and tugged but he didn't let go. I jump off his back and onto the side board of the boat and snatch them of his that way. I eventually get them and look around the boat to look at some of the people.

_I know strange to be looking at people through binoculars on a boat, but still._

I come across a black dress while my eyes were on the deck. I follow the dress up to the woman's face and find out the dress belongs to Lulu. She turns to me and stares angrily when she sees what im doing. My eyes are still glued to her face and im holding the binoculars with one hand and the other is waving back and forth while im shouting "HI LULU!" She turns from me and starts to talk to Wakka. While im still looking at Lulu in the corner of my eye I see 2 big blue feet and the skirt of Yuna's dress. I follow the dress up to the face and see Yuna stretching. I look at her with my normal eyes to see how far away she was only to see she only the other side of the boat. Im now looking at her with binocular eyes and she seems to notice because she turns smiles and waves at me. I didn't realise it at first, but im starting to blush madly. I wave back at her and let go of the binoculars. I hear a grumble and a clonck as they hit the deck. I look down and see the man looking up at me, waiting for an apology and money as his binoculars have broken. I scatch my head in embaresment and give him 200 gil. He looks at the money and then back at me. "This isn't gunna cover the damage." I don't wanna give him ALL my gil, geez.  
"Sorry pal, but its all I got." Im nearly dieing from trying my hardest to keep a straight face. Although the man insists this isn't a laughing matter, I find this incredibly funny.

I look over to where the rest are. Lulu and Wakka haven't moved and Yuna is surrounded by all sorts of people. I decide to leave her to it and head over to Wakka. He sees me coming and starts the convocation. "Come to think of it, I haven't told where were going. First to Kilika island, then we change boat and head for Luca. Before that though, Yuna's gotta pray at the temple. I'll be guarding. We'll be praying for the Aurochs victory too so you come along ya?" I consider for a moment when theres a sigh from Lulu's end. " GREAT plan." Wakka of course looks offended. We men don't like women calling our plans bad, wrong or crap. "Hey! It is a great plan!" He looks over to me for back up but then Lulu shoots me look which say "Don't go there." I hold my hand up in defence and hastily say "Don't look at me!" While Lulu and Wakka debate on whether it is or not a good plan. I got over to the crowd surround Yuna and hear a convocation being held.

"Word is, that summoner's got noble blood!"

"I heard, she's Lord Braska's daughter!"

"You don't say…"

I had heard the name before at the temple. Yeah I was talking to the monk about him.

_10 Years have passed since Lord Braska became High Summoner…_

"Lord Braska's… daughter?" I think out load. I run back to Lulu and Wakka to see if they can confirm this. "Uh, is Yuna's father famous or something?" Lulu looks at Wakka for him to explaian.

"She's the daughter of High Summoner Braska. You saw his statue at the temple. Lord Braska defeated Sin 10 years ago. Yuna's the heir to a great legacy!" I think back to my old man and wonder how she can cope with it. I remember people speaking to me as Tidus, Jecht's son, instead of Tidus the person.

_How does she deal?_ "It's tough, when you Fathers famous." Wakka looks at me questioningly and as if im crazy. Lulu notices this and gives me a head up. "Wakka's a bit… lacky, in the imagination department." She gives a small smile at her insult. _Now it makes sence. _I laugh at her warning and reply "Ha-ha, thanks Lulu, I'll keep that in mind." I remember Yuna saying she wants to chat. All the people have gone so there's nothing stopping me, except Kimahri but he seems to be giving her some space at the moment.

I walk up the stairs to where she is, she turns round hearing my footsteps and goes to the right a little, giving me room. I stretch and lean on the railing beside her. There is a nice breeze in the air. Yuna must have read my thoughts when she says, "The wind, its nice." I nod in agreement and think _What a thing to say…_ The tought brings a smile to my face as I start to chuckle. Yuna seems to realise her comment and starts to giggle herself. In 2 seconds we go from chuckling to laughing our heads off at nothing in particular. We calm down and Yuna speaks up. "You're a Blitzball player aren't you? From Zanerkand, right? _Great. Wakka been spreading that im some crazy crack up. _"You hear that from Wakka?" She nods and I stare out to the ocean. "Wakka, Wakka doesn't believe me at all." Yuna moves from the railing and standes behind me. "But, I believe you." I turn and look straight into her eyes trying to figure out whether she is lying or not but she goes on. "I heard in Zanderkand, there is a great stadium, all lit up even at night." _What? How could she know that?_ "Great Blitzball tournament are held there, and the standes are ALWAYS full." Now id had it. How could she know all of this stuff? I take a step towards her and exclaim "How do you know that?" She smiles and says, "A man names Jecht told me. He was my fathers guardian." _Jecht? My old man? How? When? ARGG I HATE HIM!_

I turn around and lean on the railing while spitting his name out with disgust. "My father, his name is Jecht."  
"Amazing!" Even though I had my back to her, I could tell she was praying. She comes to my side and faces me. "You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!" I should be thinking right now _Whoa, she's a religious one _but instead im still in anger about my old man.

_It might very well be him, I haven't seen him in 10 years, whi knows what could of happened in that time. But wait, no… he died. _"Sound like him but it cant be him." I avoid her eyes but she's making it difficult. "Why not?" She gives me a questioning look._ I may as well give it to her straight, she seems the type to ask personal questions and get personal answers._ "My old man, he died. 10 years ago off the coast of Zanarkand." Yuna looked guilty for asking me now. She turned around, unwilling to face me thinking that she has now put me through sadness. "Im sorry." I start to feel guilty now for making her guilty, but im still talking about it without being able to stop. "He went out to sea for training one day and…never came back. And nobodies seen him since then." I get from railing and turn to face Yuna's back. I go to say something but she turns round with an alarmed look. "Why that's the day…that Jecht came to Spira! It's true, I first meet Jecht 10 years and 3 months ago!I remember that was the day my father left. The date fits doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but how would he get here?" I turn again and lean back on the rail to look out to the sea again.

Yuna does the same but she's looking at me instead. "You're here, are you not?"

I turn to look at her and she smiles and nods. I find myself getting lost in her bi-coloured eyes. Wakka words of wisdom the night before seem to slip from my mind as I start to look at her in a new sort of light. Then I feel it. The crash. One of my hand go to the railing while the other goes to Yuna's hand. The crash makes her fall to the deck on her side. Then I see it. The monster that made all this happen. Sin appears not to far from us in the ocean. The grip on Yuna's hand is getting weaker when eventually, her hands slips from mine and she falls from my reach.


	15. Another encounter with Sin

_**Another encounter with Sin**_

The grip on Yuna's hand is getting weaker when eventually, her hands slips from mine and she falls from my reach.

Yuna fell until she slammed into one of the 2 harpoons on each side of the boat. I was relived and thankful it was there. As I'm just about to go over and help her out, Kimahri jumps out of nowhere and goes straight to her for assistance. There's a loud sound of waves coming from behind me as Sin comes out of the water and reveals itself. There are several shouts and scream from the passengers.

"SIN!" There are many people with camera's and Sphere tapes recording the assault.

A man comes up and push's Yuna off the harpoon and aims it at Sin.

"Whadya think your doing? Stick a harpoon in him and we'll all get dragged under!" Said Wakka from behind me. Another man went to the other Harpoon and shouted back, "Sin's going for Kilika! We gotta distract it!" The man who pushed Yuna now says, "Our families are in Kilika! Forgive us Lady Summoner!" To my surprise Yuna nods her head without any hesitation. Wakka didn't seem to like this one bit. "Wait… Oh boy!" Before he could say anything else, both the men pulled the trigger and the harpoons went skimming across the water. One of them didn't make it to Sins scaled body, but the other jammed itself into scales. It didn't seem to effect Sin at all. More waves were made and we had to retreat into the centre of the boat as much as we could. I landed on one of the secure boxes. I didn't know where the others were as the water came rushing into my eyes. Then I heard a familiar sound. Id heard it not so long aho but I couldn't put my finger on it. The waves settled and near the railings where Yuna and I had been talking were the unforgettable monsters from Zanarkand. Wakka, Lulu, Yuna and Kimahri were there ready to fight as I push myself of the box to do the same. I reached for my sword and swung it at the nearest monster I could. I disappeared into Pyerflies.

_Oh yeah! 2 to go!_

Wakka and Kimahri got rid of the last 2 but as soon as the last one was struck down, 3 more took their places. This happened about 3 or so more times until Lulu threw her hands up in frustration and shouted "THE FIN!" Knowing I couldn't I kept on attacking the monsters when I heard "STAND BACK EVERYONE!" Yuna was there posing and the pattern once again beneath her. Valefor appeared out of the sky and faced Sin. After Sin had had enough, it tried to swim from us. I didn't notice this before but the harpoon that was attaching us to Sin was being secured only by a bit of mankey wood. The wood snapped in half and Sin was free. It didn't waste anytime making its way to Kilika. As Yuna was about to make another command, the boat gave a very violent shack with threw me into the ice cold water.

As I realised what had just happened, I began to swim up to the surface without seeing the green fish-man things from the ruins. Unlike the ones I fought these ones had VERY sharp fins and backs. Before I could defend myself one of the fish-man sliced my stomach open surprisingly not letting out any of my insides. I started to float down as the fish-man had somehow paralyzed me. I couldn't reach for my sword as they kept on slicing their way through my body. As the last was about collide with my chest I heard a whizzing sound. Something was slicing through the water and making the fish-men go away. Before I knew it all the fish-men where gone and just before my saviours weapon returned the their hands I saw a faint blue ball out of the corner of my eye. Two great big hands came out of nowhere and threw a bottle of potion on me. I was facing down so I couldn't see their face until I found my muscles could work again. I jerked my head up and saw the friendly face of Wakka. He have me a thumbs up to see if I was ok, which I gladly returned. I heard a faint squeal when 2 massive dolphin come swimming at full speed at us. If it had been a normal situation I would have looked and admired them, but when theres a huge octopus fused with a jellyfish comes out of nowhere and starts attacking you, it kinda gets your mind of of it. Me and Wakka waste no time in attacking the creature. After a few hits the monster bring up its tentacles and starts spinning them extremely fast as if it was trying to blend us together. This caused me to be in a huge amount of pain from the fish-men. I can feel the split growing bigger and bigger until I just cant fight anymore. Luckily Wakka's next attack was the last as I saw the monster dissolve into a million pyerflies. He helps me swim to the surface and just above the railings is where Yuna and Kimahri stood. As soon as she saw me Yuna lit up but quickly her face darkened when she saw the state I was in. "Aurochs! Gimme a hand ey? And Yuna get ya healing hands on!" 3 Men jumped into the water and lifted me onto the deck being careful not to damage me any further. It hurt so much to breathe it was unbelievable.

Lulu took one look at me and turned a funny greenish colour and disappeared to the end of the boat and threw up over the edge. This I found terribly funny so I couldn't help but give away a small smile.

I saw 3 people surrounding me; Wakka, Yuna and 1 of the men from the team.

"He needs space! C'mon, let Yuna work her magic on him!" Then Wakka went over to Lulu.

It was about 10 minuets before I saw Yuna again. She came back with a small cup with steam coming out of it. "Drink this. It will reduce the pain." She put the rim of the cup to my lips and I instantly refused to drink it, it smelt so disgusting! "Do I have to force it into you?" Yuna voice sounded scared and worried; never a good sign if your about to argue with a woman. It took 3 minutes for me to drink from this tiny cup and almost instantly I felt the pain from my wound slip away.

Yuna nearly had tears in her eyes, "Ok?" I nodded and she began again, "This is going to hurt for a second, but it will feel much better when im gone alright? Just try and stay as still as you can." I nodded again and started to flinch as she was curing me. After 10 seconds or so the pain totally disappeared and was replaced by total bliss. I could feel Yuna's hands on my split stomach and every once and a while she would say/shriek "Sorry!" from where I grunted from the pain coming back. After she was done all there was was a pounding in my head. I put my hand to my forehead and go to get up, but she forces me back down and put my head in her lap. "Don't strain yourself." She smiled down at me and looked in front of her. I then heard a loud crash of waves and wood being splintered and I realised Sin must have reached Kilika. Yuna looked to Kilika to me then back to Kilika from time to time. To hard I guess. _Wait…_

_When Sin attacked Zanderkand that day, I woke up in Spira. I kept hoping it would work in reverse to._

"I will defeat Sin. I MUST defeat Sin." I heard Yuna say.

_I was just fooling myself. Maybe it was that day, On the sea, under the burning sun, I started to give up hope. I was in a foreign world and I wasn't going home. This was my new reality and I was stuck in it for good._

Yuna kept me in this position until Lulu came and raised her eye brows in question. In her defence I got up and stretched. "I needed healing." I shrugged my shoulders and remembered, I was healed! I looked down to my stomach and poked around. I was really healed. Not a scar or even a scratch. I leapt forward and gave Yuna a hug which lifted her of the ground. "Thank you! Thank you!" I shouted in Yuna's shoulder. I guess this tickled her because she gave a very hearty giggle. I heard someone behind me clear their throat. I turned with Yuna still in my arms and put her down the second I saw Lulu giving me the daggers that could kill from a mile off. "Sorry, got carried away." I wondered of leaving Yuna and Lulu behind bickering and found Wakka and the Aurochs. I approached and Wakka came and got me into one of his signature head locks. We dock the ship and I lean on the railings on the side of the boat while Yuna trots down the ramp and talks to the villagers. "Greetings. I am the Summoner Yuna, I have come from the temple in Besaid." She does the prayer and it gets me thinking: _So the prayer is used for _

_1:Saying hello 2:Respecting people and 3:Showing you gratitude gotta keep that in mind for the future._

"Ah! Milady Summoner!"

"If there is no other summoner here, please allow me to perform the sending." The villagers seem relieved at her request.

"Thanks be to ye!" Said one man.

"Our loved ones! We feared they would become fiends!" Said a woman.

"Please, take me to them." The man and woman lead Yuna, Lulu and Kimahri away and the rest of us get of the boat.

One question fills my mind. _Sending? What's a sending?_

Wakka's voice shouts from behind me "We'll go see what we can do to help in town." And Wakka and the Aurochs go down the path to the right. Iv got a choice to either go to the right and help out or to the left and answer my question. Without hesitation, I head down the left path and continue on.


	16. Kilika

_**Kilika**_

I walked along the wooden unspoiled path and caught sight of Lulu. I walked over and noticed Yuna and Kimahri were over by the shoreline talking to some of the villagers. There was a crowd around her which made me think if she was ever alone. My question was still unanswered. What was a sending? I approached Lulu carefully without making a sound but I could tell she knew I was there. I tried to make my next question sound brainy and not idiotic.

"What's a sending? Are we going somewhere?" She only sighed and snapped back, "You truly are clueless. Are you sure its just your memory that's the problem?" By the sound of her voice I knew she wasn't asked this question often, not by teenagers or adults anyway. I turned to head away thinking she couldn't give less of a damn if I knew or not. I was stopped by Lulu giving me an answer.

"The dead need guidance." Hoping she was going to explain further, I headed back to her side and waited. "Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to accept their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living, and in time that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that pray on the living." I was shocked by her answer. I couldn't make sense of it. "Sad, isn't it? The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace." This as fate would have it is a very emotional event of course. But wait…

"Summoners do this?" Lulu nodded and turned to face Yuna, who know had her boots off and held her staff. I couldn't help but smile at the fact this convocation with Lulu was the first and probably only one iv had with her not resulting give me evils. Kimahri walked over and stood beside me and also stared over at Yuna.

I see Yuna do the prayer and the rest of the village follow her example. Then she turns still holding her staff, and literally walks onto the water. I cant believe my eyes. If it was possible, I would take them out and rub them over my clothes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I looked over to everyone else and even the little kids didn't seem surprised. I look over to Yuna who is now standing on very deep water and she stops and spread her arms a little. She is still for a moment or two and then she starts dancing… on water! She's doing loads of spins and stuff, defiantly not the dancing that Zanerkand does/did. I find this all strange until the water starts to move, then it start getting stranger. She continues to dance while Pyerflies appear from the water and into the sky. I notice now that the Pyerflies are coming from Caskets in the water.

_The pyerflies are souls, of course!_

There are torch lights turned blue as a the pyerflies touched them, I look at one to the other and then looked at everyone else, nobody seemed surprised at all.

_Wow, tough crowd._

I looked back at Yuna as she continued to dance. I couldn't help but stare, it was such a beautiful sight. Yuna dancing on water surrounded by pyerflies... The water now pushes Yuna into mid-air creating a kind of fountain look, draining the river from the water. As Yuna continues to dance some of the pyerflies fly away into the sun-set. People around me are collapsing in sorrow, until the only people left standing are me, Lulu, Kimahri and a young boy. Her dance comes to an end with her staff facing towards the fountain water as she watches the Pyerflies leave. The water slowly spreads back to normal level and Yuna makes her way back to us. There are gasps and cries everywhere but it seems i couldn't hear them, my eyes where fixed on Yuna. Tears were streaming down her beautiful face as she approached us. Kimahri goes straight to her and the villagers thank her. Lulu is still next to me, surprisingly.

"Must be tough, being a summoner." I am still looking at Yuna as Lulu sighs.

"Yuna chose her own path she new from the beginning what it meant, all we can do is protect her along the way," She pauses at this, like it was going to hurt, what she was going say next. "Until the end."

I'm a little shocked by the way she said it. _Until the end?_ I didn't like the way she said it. "Until the...end? What's the end?" There is a long silence. Not just between me and Lulu, but the whole village it seems like. I turn and EVERYONE is looking at me as if I'm crazy. People are frowning at me here and there and then Lulu come and gets me from embarrassment, I don't think it would of made a difference if she did though. She sighs again and walks away from me and towards Yuna and snaps, "Until she defeats Sin." I start to go red and try to shake it if.

_At least people have stopped staring at me now. _

Yuna runs to Lulu and blurts out, "I hope, I hope I did OK." Lulu takes her in an embrace and strokes her hair gently. "You did very well. They've reached the Farplane by now but no tears next time, hmm?" Yuna only noded in agreement and some of the villagers take their leave, glaring at me along the way to which ends p me giving my boyish-I'm-an-idiot grin.

_I wished there would never be a "next time." No more people being killed by Sin, No more sending for Yuna. Everyone just stood there watching her, it was strange and somehow horrifying. I never wanted to see it again._

Everyone started to leave now, including Yuna, Lulu and Kimahri. As Yuna passed me I gave her a sympathetic smile. She smiled bad sadly and continued to the Inn. I stood there for a while trying to take everything in when my stomach began to growl. I went into the Inn and not to far away from the counter was a whole trolley full of food. I dashed for it and was stopped by the woman behind the counter.

"Um, that food is for the lady summoner and her guardians, sir. Sorry."

"Oh no, I'm with them." I go to take some fruit and she asks me

"Are you a guardian?" _I dont like where this is going._

"No..."

"Then you are not allowed to touch that food, Sir. You may have to go to the market, i mean, whatever is left of it, and get some from there."

"Right." I frowned and wondered out of the Inn and looked left and right but could see only huts and wreckage. I walked and saw people lying of rafters and trying to rebuild some of the path towards a jungle. I take my shoes off and stick my feet into the water. I watch as the sun sets and about 5 minuets later I hear foot steps behind me. I dont turn as they are probably going to go right passed me, but the figure sits down besides me and in their hands, is a bowl of fruit. I look up to see the face of Yuna smiling. I hear my stomach growling again and decide this is no time to argue. I take an apple and a couple of strawberries from the bowl and start to eat. "Thanks." She puts the bowl down in my lap and I look at her questioningly.

_All this food... for me?_

As if she read my mind she nodded and began, "I saw what happened in the Inn and explained to the woman that even though you are not, you are still to be treated as a guardian and by the way you dove for the food it looks like were going to need another bowl." We laugh as this and I start to blush. I notice that neither Lulu nor Kimahri are around.

"Where are your personal body guards?" I ask as i stuff by face with the Strawberries.  
" I asked Lulu and Kimahri to leave me now a little while."

"If you want to be left alone, why are you here?"

"I don't necessarily want to be alone, I just don't need to be watched over 24/7 by them, you know?"

"I guess so. Why don't you tell them that?" I was now half way through the grapes.

"Well, if I did and something was to happen to me, I know this sound selfish, but nobody would be there to protect me anymore and they'd feel awful."

"Don't worry, Id come to your rescue!" I shout throwing my hand into the air. She giggles and blushes as do I and Wakka approaches us. "What you two doin' out 'ere huh? C'mon Yuna, time for bed ya." She nods, says good night and once she out of eye shot Wakka grabs me and pushes me into the water.

"Are you crazy! What do you think your doing?" I manage as I recover my breath.

"I told you to get no ideas 'bout Yuna, remember!"

_Wait, he though I was… oh no no no._

"Sorry big guy for the heart attack we gave you but we were just talking, and eating…"

Wakka seems embarrassed more then ever now. "Oh, sorry brudda. I just, saw you two laughing, and well…"

"Just because she's laughing doesent mean im planting moves on her." I say frowning, tempted to scratch as the ice cold water drips from my hair.

"Oh okay. Well, were goin into the jungle tomorrow, so you rest up ya." With that he fled back to the inn. I jumped back onto the wooden path and headed back towards the inn. As soon as my foot entered the building, "I'm sorry sir, im so sorry! I thought you were lying when you said you were with the Lady Yuna, Im sorry!"

"Its alright, can I just have to key to my room please?" She smiled a little in relief but came back with, "Oh no, there are two beds in each room. The lady summoner only requested 3. Summoner Yuna will be sharing with her guardian Lulu, Oh, whats his name..? Kimahri! Yes he will be in his own room and you will be sharing with…" I was in a head lock and heard Wakka cackle as he squeezed making my voice go funny. "Your gunna have a rough night tonight, cuz lemme tell ya, im a snorer. HAHAHAHA!" He seemed to have cheered up since your last conversation.

He finally lets me go and we say good night and head up stairs. I thought I was gunna get an old fashion looking room but instead I get the complete opposite. It was only a one room reservation but it was complete with kitchen, bathroom and a small balcony. In the corner of the room was a wooden bunkbed. At the same time me and Wakka bolted for the bunk bed racing to see who would get the top bunk. I jump and land in the middle of the top bunk. I fling my hand in the air in victory. Wakka its on the bottom bunk, sighing in depression, little did I know he was waiting for the opportune moment. I hung upside down on the bund-railings and observe him upside down. Then he gives me a wide smile, grabs my shoulders and throws me onto the floor. He climbs the ladder and sits on the top bed with pride. Even though my butt hurt, I couldn't help but laugh as I feel a brotherly bond between us start to grow.

"Hey! No fair I got there first!" There's a loud tap from the wall and mumbling. "What…" Im cut of my a pillow colliding with my face. I look up to see Wakka has built a pillow fort and is ready for assault. I crawl behind the couch and start to gather pillows. As we have a small but hilarious pillow fight, making lots of noise in the process, Lulu storms through the door and we stop our fight as soon as she enters.

_Oh, the banging on the wall was her._

She looks at me and then looks at Wakka in shock. "How old do you think you are?"

Me and Wakka just chuckle and Lulu just continues to glare at us. "Me and Yuna are trying to sleep, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO THE SAME!" Wakka just held up his hand and started to throw some of my pillows back onto my bed. I clambered in after them and handed some of his pillows back to him. Lulu banged the door shut and we heard the door bang in the next room to. We heard small mumblings and groans as Lulu talked to Yuna how ignorant and selfish we were. Then the last thing we hear is, "Who does he think he is!" Then everything went quite and Yuna and Lulu went to sleep. Wakka did the same and he wasn't lying about him being a snorer. I was awake for while when I decided that this was gunna be a _long_ night.


	17. Kilika Woods

_**Kilika woods**_

I woke up a few times in the night to the sound of Wakka snoring again and again. He claimed he couldn't breath through him nose when he slept. In revenge I tested this little idea. I clambered the ladder and saw Wakka, mouth wide open letting out the most irritating noise. I slowly raise my hand and cover his mouth. It didn't wake him up but he started to try harder to breath. I force my hand down as lightly as I could until no air could get in or out of his mouth, then he stopped breathing entirely. He wasn't breathing though his nose as he said. He was a Blitzer so he could hold his breath for a full on 4 minuete time span. I waited the 4 minuets and then released my hand making Wakka fill his lungs full of air. I chuckled and flopped myself back onto the bed and slowly went back to sleep for the last time.

I woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs and beans. I squinted my eyes and saw a plate with 2 eggs, 3 slices of Bacon and dollops of beans. I jump out of bed and run to the table which my meal was awaiting me.I noticed that there was no sound at all so either Wakka died in his sleep or he got up. I look over to his empty bed with two spoons of beans in my mouth. I finish the meal and wash in cold water, I was not pleased.

I go downstairs and see the woman smiling at me. "How are you this morning, sir?"  
"As if I could sleep." This joke directed at Wakka. We both laugh and I head outside. I look around and somehow I forgot about what happened here. I look around to the crying families and feel a great flush of sadness rush through my body. I start to walk down the path towards where Yuna had performed the sending when Datto, one of the Aurochs players, runs up to me and pants out, "Hey, you awake? Cap'n Wakka's waitin' for ya." He slowly jogs the opposite way and I follow. We reach a ship, well half a wrecked ship in the water and the Aurochs on the ship repairing it. Wakka is the only one not doing repairs. Instead he is standing in front of the ship shouting orders. I walk over to his side. "Aha, there ya are! Okay Besaid Aurochs, huddle!" Then the team get of the ship and wait for Wakka's next instruction. "Ok. Now off to the temple, where we pray for victory!" At this the team jumps up and shouts "Lets go!" And run of down the path.

_How can they be in such a cheery mood?_

Then Wakka starts walking and start convocation. "High summoner Ohaland used to live in the Kilika Temple here. Yup Lord Ohaland was once a great Blitzer you know." Now of this right, I mean praying for victory in the temple when we could be helping the village. It just didn't feel like the right thing to do.

"Wakka, praying for victory's all got, but is this right?

"Something wrong with enjoying Blitzball?" He seemed not to understand where I was coming from so I look out towards the people and the wrecked village and continue. "I mean, it this really the time?"

Wakka seemed to understand now and replied while patting my back, "This is the only time." We continue to walk down the path and he continues, "the player fight with all their strength, the fans cheer for their favourite team. They forget pain and suffering. Only the game matters. That's why Blitz has been around for so long. At least that's what I think." I guess I could understand. Blitz was popular here, popular enough to forget the destruction of your own home though?

"What-ever you say." I stops walking and turns. "Lets play, and win! Right?" He makes an encouraging face which I just had to smirk at. This place was getting to me. Making me forget one of the core reasons I came with these people, to get to this _Luca_ place and play the greatest game on this planet. Now encouraged and feeling a little more better about things I agree. "Right!"

Wakka smiles and points down the path. "Temples beyond the jungle, The other are meeting us at the entrance, lets go." We walk for about 5 minuets and I see the entrance of the jungle. It looked to small from the Inn, but up close it was huge. We walk through the entrance and see Yuna, Lulu and Kimahri. Lulu is facing Yuna looking very confused and annoyed. Wakka notices this also and says, "What's up?" in the most sympathetic voice he can. I see Yuna look a little worried when Lulu approaches me and says, "Yuna's saying she wants you with us."

_Wants me with them? Gunna have to explain a little more._

Yuna walks forward so she is in front of me. "I want to ask you to be my guardian." In the same state of mind as me, the confused Wakka steps forward and says "Yuna, what? There no time for jokes ya. He may be a Blitzball whiz kid, but up against fiends he's a newbie." Yuna frown and looks like she's desperately trying to find another way around that. She gives up and says "Not a guardian then, I just want him near by." Wakka and me are now on the highest level on confusion and I say "What? What do you mean?" She looks at me and says, "Its just that well…" She starts blushing madly and Lulu seems to know exactly what Yuna's talking about. Before Yuna can continue though, "Were all going to the temple anyway." She turns to Yuna, "Cant this wait till later?" Yuna nods and looks straight back at me. "Im sorry, I shouldn't have…" I cut her off.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, im just not really sure what's going on."

She bows and says, "My apologies." She turn and heads down the road at a quick pace with Lulu and Kimahri at her heels. I turn to Wakka and he does a "I-don't-know-brudda shrug, so I just let it slide for now. We head down the path and see Luzza and Gatta in front of what it looked like to me a sleeping fiend. Before we could get there however, we were jumped by a fiend. This fiend kinda looked like plant with flowers at the side and top. We all got into our position and Lulu says, "Kimahri, why don't you use "Lancet" on it?"

_Lancet? That's a funny name._

In between giggles I ask what's a Lancet?"

"Normally it's a skill that weakens enemies and heal the user, but when a Ronso uses it that Ronso can sometime learn fiends abilities." Whoa!

"Hey sounds cool!" and within 5 seconds, Kimahri does a demonstration for me. He stands still and a sort of bright ball comes from the fiend and into Kimahri. Kimahri looks over to Lulu and nods, probably to say he got the ability. Then Kimahri starts shooting seeds from his chest and at the enemy. I found this incredibly awesome and was tempted to ask him to do it again but the fiend was defeated and the rest of the group headed down the path towards Luzzu and Gatta.

"Company halt!" Gatta shouts as we approach. Luzza steps forward and begins, "The fiend before us is Ochu king of the wood. We've had trouble with this one before, remember discretion is the better part of valour."

_Wait he means for us to fight that thing? Wait where are they going… NO!_

Wakka, Lulu, Yuna and Kimahri had answered my question. They obtained battle position and began to fight. I didn't realise it but when I jumped in they started looking tiered and sleepy. Then I realise a greenish colour of gas swarm around us. Lulu and Wakka fall asleep and Kimahri does the thing where seeds come from his chest.

_Awww yeah!_

The fiend was defeated shortly after and Lulu woke up 2 minuets after. Wakka on the other hand took 30 minuets to wake up. If it wasn't for Lulu doing a Thunder spell on him we would have been there for a while.

Luzza and Gatta approach us again and Gatta has a face of pure amazement.

"A summoner and her guardians…very impressive." Says Luzzu.  
Gatta looks like he's been encouraged and blurts out, "Sir we should fight to!" Luzza gives out a chuckle and replies "We'll get our chance soon enough."

_What did he mean by that?_

Luzza and Gatta head down the path and Gatta starts singing,

"_Young crusaders gather round, we'll beat Sin into the ground…"_ Im not sure if there was more to the song but they where to far down the path for me to hear. There wasn't much talk around the party for some unknown reason. We walk for an hour and we reach some stone steps. We meet the Besaid Aurochs at the middle and they're doing streches.

_Okay I get it you beat us here. No need to run it in._

Wakka turns and gives me another lesson. "These stone steps have a history you know. Lord Ohaland trained here at his peak." The Aurochs give chuckle and stop streaching and line up beside each other.

_Alright I get the picture! They went doing stretches to run it in, they where doing stretches 'cuz…_

"A race huh? Think you can beat me?" In line up as well and Wakka says, "Yuna if you would." Yuna goes to the side and puts her hand up. "Ready… Hahaha!" Before she can say go and her hand comes down, she bolts up the steps. The Aurochs take time to register this and run up the steps after her. I run up as well and I even heard a laugh from Lulu, "Haha, kids!" As I got to the top (in last place damn it!) nearly the whole team came running back down the step and I hear Wakka shout "Everyone quick, Sinspawn!"

Lulu and Kimahri run up the steps and prepare to fight. I follow and see a 2 green hands sticking out of the ground. Then in the middle came a grey rock like shell right out of the ground. We begin to fight the shell but every time I'd slash it with my sword, the vibration would hurt me instead so stuck to the hands for the time being. Yuna summoned Valefor and in a short time the hands were defeated. The rock took a little more time. A few hits and Valefor released a red beam across the floor. Wakka grabs me by the shirt and jumps to the ground and I hear an explosion. I look up and the red light has gone and the shell had turned into a green monster. Valefor went down after a couple more hits and me and Wakka were back in the field. Lulu finished it off with a fire spell and it dissolved into Pyerflies. I was exhausted by the end of the battle.

I put my hands on my knees and part deeply. I hear Wakka shout to me, "Sorry about that! Hoped to break you in a little slower! He joked. Yuna, Lulu and Kimahri surround me and I look at them and say, "B-Being a guardians tiring." Yuna's face lit up a little at that (Maybe thinking I accepted her invite.) and heads up the stairs towards the temple. "Ya know, you handles yourself pretty well, you got talent." Wakka said. I feel myself start to blush. "Nah… so what are these Sinspawn anyway?"

I was expecting Wakka to answer but Lulu did instead, "Fiends. They fall from Sins body and are left in its wake." She finishes and Wakka continues for her. "Leave em alone and Sin comes back for em. Ya gotta be quick." They all head up the steps to the temple and I think about it for a second.

_That moment, when Wakka told me I had talent in battle, that was when I started seriously considering becoming a guardian._

AN: Sorry about the crappy fighting details, im not good with the main battles but hopefully they will get better with some time, I've got plenty of practise to come. Well anyway hope you guys enjoy" R&R please!


	18. Kilika Temple Part 1

_**Kilika Temple Part 1**_

I run up the steps and see the pace has slowed down. Wakka is in the lead with Lulu and Kimahri behind him and in front of me is Yuna. I think back to her asking me to be one of her guardians.

_I think I would like to take her up on that._

I go forward to ask if the window is still open but Wakka cuts me of.

"So uh… they got fiends in Zanerkand too?

_Great! Talk about home! Being a guardian came wait!_

"Just a few, it's a big deal when one shows up though." Then something hits me.

_Why is he asking about Zanerkand? Not like he believes me… wait._

"Hey, since when have you believed me about Zanerkand anyway?" Wakka turns and looks at Lulu and then at me. He looked afraid about what he was gunna say, or what I would say to his opinion.

"I've been thinking. Maybe people that Sin get to don't die. Maybe Sin carries them through time, like a thousand years throught time, and then one day they just pop back see?"

On queue Lulu puts her head in her hands and pipes up, "Amazing. Simply amazing!"

Wakka doesn't bother playing dumb 'cuz even I knew what/who he was talking about.

"You make up one theory after another, refusing to face the simple truth. Sin didn't TAKE Chappu anywhere. Sin crushed hum, and left him on the Djose shore. Your brother wont just POP back." She start to go up the start and then turns and continues, "Oh and one more thing, no matter how much you want it, NO ONE can take Chappu's place." The next part I think is directed at Yuna. "No one can replace Sir Jecht for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska either. Its pointless to think about it, and sad." And with that, Lulu stormed up the steps and Yuna followed, Kimahri left in the middle of Lulu's speech.

Wakka sits down and punches the floor. "I… I could never be what Chappu was."

_What Chappu was? What's going on?_

"Well, stuff happens. Best not to worry." He gets up and heads up the steps.

_Wakka, Lulu and Wakka's brother, Chappu, something had happened between them a long time ago, I was sure of it. Well whatever it was it was non of my business that's for sure, best not to go there._

If I went in that direction and asked Lulu what happened, I'd be dead most probably. I run up the steps and I begin to hear the song I heard in Besaid temple. Maybe it was part of some religion? I join the others and everyone is bowing and respecting Yuna. After everyone had cleared out we started to head towards the doors to the temple, people dressed in purple tunic like clothes came storming out of them. I look over at Wakka and he scowling at them. He gives a "Hmph!" and greets them. "You here to pray for victory too?"  
The red head in lead looks amused. "Us pray? Who needs to pray! The Luca Goers always win!"

"Oh ya? Then why you here?"

"We've been praying for some competition this year." Says a guy to the right of red head.

By that comment, I already hate these guys.

Red head seems in the mood for taunting at the moment. "So what your goal this time? Gunna do you best again?" He gives a hearty chuckle and the man to hi left says," Its to bad your best isn't good enough! Why even bother showing up?"

Now I feel its my turn to say something. "This time we play to win!"

Red head gives a fake worried expression and says, "Ohhh, play away! Just remember, even kids can play boys!" After that they leave and Wakka shouts after them "See you in the finals!"

Everyone starts to go in and im still staring at them in anger.

_They remind me so much of my old man, arrogant, nasty…_

"We'll beat them! We have to!"

Yuna is one of the people still outside the temple and says, "You know that team?"

I ignore her and say in pure hatred, "Putting people down… there as bad as my old man!"

Yuna is shocked and defends the old wolf. "But, Sir Jecht was a kind and gently man!"

"Well not my Jecht!"

_Even 10 years after he left, just thinking about my old man got me angry. Maybe that was just my way of keeping him… nah!_

Me and Yuna walked into the empty temple hall and I see Wakka praying at the feet of a statue with Lulu and Kimahri standing watch. Yuna joins Lulu and Kimahri and I go and join Wakka.

"Lord Ohaland, guide our feet!" I figure since im playing for the team al well that I should pray also. In the middle of it I hear foot steps coming from the cloister. "A summoner are you?"

I hear more foot steps and hear "My name is Yuna from the isle of Besaid."

There is a silence and the newcomer breaks it. "Dona. So you're the High Summoner Braska's daughter, that quite a name to live up to. My my my, and all these people are you guardians? My what a rabble. As I recall Lord Braska had only two guardians. Quality over quantity my dead, what ever where you thinking? I have need of only one guardian, right Barthello?"

Another silence and I am still praying as well as Wakka. It seems Wakka has done the same as I and stopped praying my just listening to the convocation. I look to my left and it seems that I am right. He looks over to me and gives me a "Oh-you-too?" look. He get up and stop praying and join the others. Dona is a brown haired woman by the age I was guessing 20-30 and her guardian Barthello was a strong built man with muscles the size of Blitzballs around the dame age.

"I only have as many guardians as they are people I can trust. I trust them all with my life. To have so many guardians is a joy and an honour. Even more so then being my fathers daughter. Of course, I would never think of questioning you ways either. So lady Dona, I ask of you, please leave us in peace!"

Dona looked angered and insulted. "You do what you want, Barthello were leaving."

As soon as Dona left Yuna looked like she could finally relax.

_A guardian is someone a summoner can rely on. Someone she can trust with her life. I wondered did Yuna feel that way about me?_

Yuna turns to me and smiles dreamily. _What's she smiling about?_

She turns and heads into the cloister with Lulu and Kimahri. Wakka and me go in last and we hear Lulu say, "The cloister of trials, Kimahri, Wakka ready?"

_Why didn't she say my name? Im a guardian right?_

Yuna prays. "Strength everyone." They get on a lift that takes people down to the cloister and I get on last. I wait for the lift to go down and instead I feel a huge hand push me off the lift and back near the steps to the cloister.

I turn and see Kimahri retreating his hand. "Hey, what gives?"

Lulu looks at me and says, "Your not a guardian yet."

Yuna looks sad and guilty and says in a small voice, "Um, we'll be back as soon as we can okay?"

Then the lift goes down while I reply, "Oh, soon like tomorrow soon, I bet." The lift stops and comes back up. I go to leave and Dona and Barthello come back.

"Where's Yuna?" I turn and point down towards the cloister.

She frowns and asks, "Then why are you here?"

"Hey, im not a guardian so im not supposed to go in right?"

"Hmmm, not a guardian you say?" Barthello smiles and approaches me and lifts me over his shoulder. "Lemme go!" He throws me onto the lift and back away.

"What's the big idea?" I shout at the top of my voice.

"Just a little game." She smiles and the lift starts to move again.

I start to think there's more to this game then she says. "This is bad, really bad."

The lift stops and im in a hallway. In the hallway are torch lights and at the end of the hall was a big door which I guessed was the door to the cloister. I consider going back up but probably Dona and Barthello are gunna chuck me back down again. I approach the door and talk to myself. "Only guardians allowed, and im sure no guardian. Well guess it to late now." I push the door open and wonder into the cloister beyond.


	19. Kilika Temple Part 2

_**Kilika Temple Part 2**_

Inside the cloister were flaming pedestals with the spheres in them. So like the cloister in Besaid I switched spheres round and pushed some things and the door to the chamber opened, only this time it took more time.

I enter the chamber and walk to the centre of the room and Wakka and Lulu run up to me. Wakka puts his head in his hands and Lulu shakes her head. Kimahri's guarding the door to the faith and Yuna but he doesn't do anything in particular.

"It was Dona and the big muscle head man!" Thinking it was enough to be my defence until Lulu says, "Yuna will be the one to suffer the consequences!"

"Uh, what consequences?"

Wakka frown. "She could be ex-communicated!"

This meant she would no longer be a summoner. She wouldn't be able to beat or summon anymore aeons. And it would be my fault. Well mine, Dona's and Barthello's but mostly mine. Trying to get my mind of Yuna never speaking to me again I ask Wakka, "So what's in there anyway?"

Wakka seemed to have calmed down a little and replies, "The Faith, remember?"

"Oh yeah that thing right."

"The Faith are the people who gave their lives to battle Sin. Yevon took their souls, willingly given from their still living bodies," She approaches me and Wakka. "Now they live forever, trapped in statues. But when a summoner beckons, the souls of the Faith emerge once again. That what we call an Aeon." She returns to her original place near a wall and waits.

"All that in this room?" Wakka nods.

"So what's Yuna doing in there?" I ask Wakka again.

"She prays with all her heart for a way to defeat Sin."

I think that if I'm gone when Yuna isn't here she cant suffer any consequences and be ex-communicated, so I head for the exit. As soon as my foot goes past the door…

_Uh oh…_

I turn and see Yuna stumbling out of the Chamber of the Faith and onto the floor. Kimahri quickly runs to her side and helps her up.

_There was something I didn't tell anyone else that day. That song we heard there, in the temple, I knew it from my childhood. It was proof that Spira and Zanerkand were connected somehow. At least to me it was. Maybe that's why suddenly, I just wanted to go home. I tried to say something to them but the words wouldn't come_

Kimahri is no longer holding Yuna up and he once again glares at me and goes back into the temple followed by Wakka. I start to go when I hear, "It's so big! It's an elemental Aeon. I think I'll call it Ifrit." Lulu smiles and replies,

"What Element does it have?" Asks Lulu

"Fire. When I got it, flames engulfed me, it felt so strange." After the little convocation they left and I was on my own, listening to the soothing song. I don't know how long I was there listening but eventually Wakka came back into the room.

"Hey, you ok brudda?" I realise he's there and he brings me back to my senses. We head into the trial and Yuna and Lulu are waiting for us, Kimahri is of somewhere else.

I feel a huge despair and depression coming from my gut. Maybe it was the song I was listening to, made me think of home.

Yuna smiles and goes onto the lift and waits for me and Wakka. The lift goes up as soon as I step on it and we head back to the village. But before we can even make it to the stone steps I stop in my tracks and stare at the floor. Yuna was behind me and she noticed this and asks "Are you alright?"

"I..," I wasn't even sure how I felt. "I don't know."

"What do you want to do?"

"To scream real loud." This makes Yuna giggle a little so I let out a ear bursting yell.

"!"

This, of coarse gets the attention of everyone in the temple grounds.

"You okay now?" Yuna asks in between giggles.

I force a small smile and nod. She wonders down the steps and Wakka says, "You don't go making yourself lose ya voice by tomorrow ya?"

I chuckle a little at this and jump down 3 steps at a time.

_I guess I do feel a little better, maybe._

We finally reach the village and everyone is running up to us and giving us the prayer and all sorts of stuff. Something is really starting to bug me so I find Wakka and ask, "So, when do I become a guardian then?"

Wakka looks a little shocked and shakes his head a little. "Ok we make a deal. In Luca stadium there's loads of screens so people way in the back stands can see the match. Make sure you play good so you can get on screen. Someone might recognise you ya? If someone does then you don't have to come with us anymore. You could pick up where you left of. But if no one goes and recognises ya, well we cant just leave you in Luca can we?"

"Thanks, I guess." Wakka begins to stare out into the ocean, deep in though about what he had just said supposedly. After he comes back to Spira we walk into the Inn and once again, I dived at the trolley again exept this time Wakka joined in. Lulu look at us as if were 8 years old doing all sorts of compation like eating in this case.

Yuna is standing by the counter with the lady doing a very girlish giggle at my behaviour. The lady notices this and whispers something in Yuna's ear and Yuna's eyes grow wide and she blushed madly looks at me and then at the lady and shakes her head shouting "No No!" The lady gives Yuna a key and Yuna rushes upstairs not to be seen for the remainder of the night.

After I finish eating, I take a long strode like I did the previous night and dunk my feet into the water to sooth them. I got the feeling someone was watching me I turn and see nothing except wreckage and the inn. No one in the Inn was watching me as far as could tell by looking through the windows. In fact the only person I saw through the windows was Kimahri. He notices me looking at him and I smile a little and wave. In return he slams the window shut.

_Talk about being grouchy._

But I cant shake the feeling someone or something is watching me. I decide to head back to the Inn before something happened. The key to mine and Wakka's room was gone so Wakka was upstairs. I say my good-nights and head upstairs. The moment I come into the room, Wakka puts me in a head lock and squeezes.

"What do you think you were doing out-side at this time of night huh?"

"Fighting crime, now lemmo go!" He slowly lets go and I get into the lower bunk and take my shoes of.

"You tired brudda?" I nod and fall back onto the bed.

"Well into going for a little walk, make sure your asleep when I get back alright!"

I nod hastily and close my eyes hoping with everything I got to fall asleep before he gets back and does so himself. I hear the door go and I run to the window and see Wakka with someone else. I could only see the back of the figures head, she had a braid and a black dress. I squint my eyes to see… Lulu.

I head back to the bed deciding im to tired to question what their doing and where their going. I doesn't take long at all for me to fall asleep, but I still cant forget the feeling someone or something is watching me.


	20. Off to Luca Part 1

_**Off to Luca**_

I got to sleep before Wakka got back, thank goodness but I did wake up like the previous night to his snoring but you cant ask for everything. Its about 6am when I go to sleep for the last time and wake up to the smell of food again. After my meal I head down stairs and see that nobody, not even the woman who runs the place, is anywhere in sight.

I walk outside and see a crowd or people surrounding the docks so I head that way. Wakka is the first one to see me which is shocking since he was in a sitting position and the crowd went all the way around the group. He gets up and says, "Off to Luca at last!"

I see the rest of the party somewhere near the boat and when they see me they get up and go on the boat. The crowd is shouting all sorts of things like "Good luck Lady Yuna!" and "I look forward to your calm!"

_Calm? Wakka mentioned that before._

I shout over the crowd, "Hey, Wakka what's a c…" He cuts me off. He himself is screaming over the noise, "The match starts as soon as we get there, so rest up on the way ya?" I nod and let the Calm thing slide. We eventually get on the boat and the horn blows, not that we could hear it, signalling that were now on the move.

Wakka shows me to a hall way where he expects me to sleep, but then again I didn't get much sleep last night so I guessed I could of made an exception this time. I get to sleep faster then I expected and woke up past my goal. I get up stretch and im not feeling all the hungry so I head up to the deck. Before I reach the stairs that head up to the deck, a strange man with a bag on his back stops me. "Those are fascinating clothes your wearing, yuck! Filthy, FILTHY! These clothes wont sell or me names not Oaka!"

He observes me closely. "Don't look like you got much money either. I've no business with ye, outta me way!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Oaka the XXIII, merchant extraordinaire!"

"Oaka the who?"

He looked a little shocked, "Don't know me? Well not many do not yet." He says glumly, his head hanging.

I decide to let it slide and go up the stairs to the deck. No one is in sight but I can hear Wakka and Lulu's distant voices.

"Well, say something, you'll take responsibility?" Lulu voice says.

I head toward the voice and I slowly head up the stairs and hear Wakka say in his defence "Relax! He's bound to know someone in Luca!"

"And if not?"

"He could always Blitz team," He trails of. "Besides, its better then just leaving him in Besaid."

"What? Just leaving him in Luca?"

"What do you want me to do?"

I begin to leave but when she says, "Yuna wants to make him a guardian."

I light up a little from this.

"Oh yeah, jeez, there's that to ey?"

"And who's fault is that?"

_Fault? Why's it a fault?_

"Not mine!" There's a silence, "It is mine huh… Why do you think she wants to make him a guardian anyways?

"Because he's Sir Jecht's son."

"Oh yeah, wait you sure about that? He's really Sir Jecht's son?"

"It's hard to say, but Yuna seems to think so."

"Okay."

"Okay? Okay! That ALL you have to say!"

"Well, he's gotta decide for himself ya. Well him and Yuna I guess."

"Your right for once. I wonder which is best. Why don't you tell him he should?"

"Should what?"

"Become Yuna's guardian."

_Whoa! Lulu's agreeing to this?_

"Why me?"

"Because Yuna cant."

"Why not?"

"Because he hates his father. What he was… what he did. Do you really think she can possibly say to him: I want you to be my guardian, like you father was to mine."

"Aren't you being over sensitive? Alright, ill try talking to him after the tournament."

"Be discrete."

"I know, its his disition. So he doesn't like his father?"

"Apperantly, he told Yuna as much."

"Hating you own father… sounds like a luxury to me. I don't even remember my parents, cant say how I feel about them."

"I was 5 then, do I remember mine a little."

I hear a loud thud.

"Damn it!" Shouts Wakka. "Sin just takes everything away from us!" and so the convocation ending and I left before I was caught. I wonder around the deck for a little until I saw Yuna talking to the Luca Goers, Kimahri not to far away as usual.

"What you all talking about?" I ask coming into view. Yuna smiles but it quickly fades as the Red head from the temple snaps, "Who are you supposed to be?"

The guy behind him joins in, "Oh I remember him, the guy from the temple. You know one of the Besaid Aurochs, said something about winning the cup."

Red head now remembers, "Oh right your that idiot."

Yuna now takes action and glares at Red head. "Don't call him that!"

"But he IS an idiot!" He shouts. "They don't got what it takes to win the cup!"

He and his friend start to laugh. "Well they do now that im here." I boast.

Yuna supports this idea. "Yes they will win. He used to be the star player of the Zanarkand abes." She continues to glare at them.

I knew she was gunna bring that up and I hoped she wouldn't.

Red head and his friend laughed at this, "Yeah, as if anyone liked on those ruins!" He manages to say between chuckles.

"Its not ruins! Theres a big city there! There is!" She insists.

I don't want the men thinking she's a total nut job so I try to explain. "Uh, I got to close to Sin, and the toxin…" Yuna cuts me off.

"There is a city, really!" She turns from us and the men raise they're eye brows in amusement. "Right, what-ever you lady ship says." They mock. After that comment they leave. I walk up to her and she turns looking sad as ever.

"What's wrong? You seemed really mad back there."

"They were being rude and…" She trails off. "I do believe you Zanarkand exists, I really do you know?"

"How come?"

"Sir Jecht…" _Uh oh. _"Used to always tell me stories, it would be great to see your home someday!" He smile returns. "I'd love to go there."

I agree with her and my though carry me away from Spira.

_So Yuna, wanna come over to my place?_

_Right, sure, as if I had a place to show her._

I return to Spira, smile and wonder to the front of the ship were a Blitzball is awaiting me. The ship gives a little bump and the ball rolls towards me. I put my foot on it to stop it and it reminds me on a horrible, but not forgettable scene…


	21. Off to Luca Part 2

_**Off to Luca**_

I was in Zanarkand at about 6 or 7 years old and I was trying to pull of one on my old man moves, but I couldn't even kick the ball. I fell and the old man call out of nowhere and hung his head. He looks at me and I can tell he's a little drunk.

"Well well, trying to follow in my footsteps are you? I usually charge for lessons you know, that shot is done like this!" He kicks the ball and it goes flying to the side of the house and back at him, he then punches it and it goes back to the house and back again and then he head butts it and punches is one last time.

The ball curves into the air and the old man jumps up, spins to many times and then kicks the ball to the back of the house again.

"You cant do it kid! But don't worry my boy your not the only one. No one else can do it, im the **best!"**

I snap out of the flash back and I am in so much Rage and Anger that I cant take it anymore. I kick the ball at one of the main pillars of the boat, it comes back. While im doing this, my old man voice is ringing in my ears, "You cant do it kid!" "Your out of you league!" "No one else can do it, Im the **best!**" The ball curves into the sky and I jump and spin, kicking the ball out to see, never to be seen again.

_Whoa, that'll show ya!_

I laugh at what I just done, it was the second time I tried that. "The best! Yeah right!"

I feel that im not alone anymore and turn to see the Aurochs staring in amazment. Wakka is among then and says, "Whoa! What's that move called!"

_Hell I don't remember…_

"Doesn't have a name. Anyone can do it if they try!"

"Show us one more time ya?" He hands me a ball and I put it on the wooden floor and the Aurochs spread out. I see Yuna giving me a huge smile and I turn to do the shot once again.

"Whoa! I gotta try this!" Practically all the Aurochs join in trying to get the move down. In the mean time I go over to Yuna to see what she made of the move.

She smiled and says the unexpected. "That was the Jecht shot, wasn't it?"

It amazes me she knows more then what I give her credit for. I go over to the railing and sit on them. "How'd you know that?"

She giggles, "Sir Jecht showed it to me when I was a child, he called it the Sublimly-Magnificent-Jecht-Shot-Mark III." She says after she stops laughing.

_Oh yeah THAT'S what it was called!_

I sighed and kick my feet against the side of the boat. "Stupid name huh? Ya know, there is no mark I or mark II, my old man said that was just a way to hock the crowd, he said they came back EVERY night expecting to see mark I and mark II, and they really did come back. I used to get so mad." She laughs a little.

I think on something for a moment and figure its Ok to ask to her without me getting mad. "Is he alive do ya think?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but Sir Jecht was my Fathers guardian…" I cut her off accidentally. "So he's famous here too?" She nods. "So if anything were to happen to him, I would expect word would get around fast."

_Makes sense I guess._

"What would you do if you found him?" She asks.

"Who knows, I thought he died 10 years ago, well…"

_Id want to kick his ass! Beat him to a pulp, but I cant say that in front of her so…_

"Id probably just smack him one! After everything he put mom and me through. Because he was famous I was always, well you should know Yuna." She frown questioningly.

"Your Father's famous to. Everyone in Spira knows him right? Aint it tough?

"It is hard to follow in his foot steps, as a summoner."

_Well that would make sense, he beat Sin._

"Sure."

"But the honour of having a Father like him, surpasses all that, I think."

_My old man? Honourable? Don't make me laugh!_

"Well there wasn't much to honour about my old man, that's for sure."

Yuna looks a little surprised and shocked. "You shouldn't say that about your Father!"

"I got the right!"

"Hmmm, I guess you do." She now looks a little upset. I go to try and cheer her up but im hit in the stomach will a Blitzball.

"OW!" I turn and see Wakka and the Aurochs. "Show us that move again!"

"Yo!" I take the ball do it again.

Lulu comes down from the Balcony thing and goes to Yuna.

"Come on, it's late. Time to get to bed." Lulu says going towards the room im guessing.

"Alright, Good-Night!" She waves and heads off with Lulu. I watch as she is totally out of eye shot and turn to be greeted by Wakka. "Show me the move again and I swear I'll be able to do it!"

"It takes a long time to learn Wakka." I take the ball and get into position.

"How long did it take you to learn it?"

_Well, im not exactly gunna be lying…_

"10 Years."

Wakka's eyes widen and his jaw hits the deck. "T-Ten? Ten years?"

The Aurochs seem to have listened in and I nod.

"Nah, Brudda. Must be some kind of toxin thing messin' with your head ya?"

"What-ever." I say glumly. I do the shot and head back to the hallway and attempt to sleep.

_Why does every little thing I do have to be something about the stupid toxin…_

I eventually find myself drifting to sleep. I woke up in my Zanarkand but it feels like im actually there and that all this happened before.

_I just wanna go home… is that to much to ask!_

I walked along the high bridge, being stopped every once and while by screaming fans.

"Can I have you a-autog-graph please mister T-Tidus, sir?" Says a nervous boy at the age of 8 I was guessing.

The high Bridge disappears and I wake up, back in the hallway in Spira. I can hear a sort of faint screeching but decide to ignore it for the time being.

My stomach is screaming at me so I went to the cafeteria to get something BIG to eat. Im in the front of the queue so im first to be served. The screeching is getting louder and louder as we sail. The lady behind the counter looks at me and I say greet her,

"Hello can I have um, 4 scoops of everything here please?" The lady serving looks at me suspiciously.

"Ok I know im being a pig, 3 scoops of everything please." I pay for what I get and sit down at a near by table. 5 minuets later Yuna turns up with a meal about have the size of mine.

"Morning. You seem hungry." She sound giddy and exited this morning.

"Morning, and yes im starving, what's up with you?" I ask shoving a gravy smother sausage into my mouth.

"Were nearing Luca! I'm starting to hear the people cheering for the teams." She says as she starts tucking into her meal.

_Oh, so that's what it was._

We finish your meals in silence and go up to the deck. I head up to the front of the boat and see hundreds of people cheering and screaming at us.


	22. Luca

_**Luca**_

Luca was bigger then I had expected. With Sin around and what happened in Kilika, I expected towns and cities to be small. It could happen anywhere. But this place is massive. There are people all over the place screaming and cheering that their team has arrived. In the distance I can just see what I believe to be the stadium.

_Not as big as the one in Zanarkand but it'll do._

I can hardly hear Wakka shout, "Ti-us! C—e i-side –a!" (Tidus! Come inside ya!) I make my way back to the cabin area and one of the Aurochs has a radio in his lap.

The local commentators, Jimma and Bobba, are talking about Kilika.

"Their home town was recently attacked by Sin, Isnt that right Jimma?"

"Yes Bobba…"

Wakka gets the team up and starts rushing us out to the deck. "Our teams next lets go!"

He pushes us to the ramp and we hear from the speakers, "Well, well, well! If it isn't the Besaid Aurochs! They're a living breathing statistical impossibility! I've never seen a team this bad! That's right! In 23 years they have never made it passed the first round! Only a few die hard fans are in the audience today." I look round and there are people shaking their heads and walking away. The other commentator says, "Best of luck to them and a safe journey back to Besaid!"

_He didn't have to say it like that!_

"Right Jimma! Moving right along! Our next team is… Hear they are folk, our very own Luca Goers!" By this time me and the Aurochs had made our way to the Goers dock and there are screen everywhere showing the Goers smiling and waving at the crowd.

"They've got power! They've got speed! They've got teamwork! Their an all round first class team and their back home in Luca!" Says Bobba

"Without a doubt, they are the favourite this year Bobba! And after the way they dominated last year, it would take a miracle for them to lose today!"

"You can say that again Jimma! Look at the crowd folks! Look at the crowd! Looks like all of Luca has turned up to cheer the Goers on! They know, I know and you know folks! The Luca Goers are number 1!" And with that the commentary ended and me and the Aurochs are staring at the screens, watching the Goers signing autographs and having pictures taken with their fans.

"Hey its like this every year ya. Don't let it bother ya!" He slaps me on the back. I completely ignore him and to my delight, there's a microphone in my reach. I grab it and then climb onto the top of some crates so everyone could see me. I turn the mic. on and shout, "Stop right there Goers!" In the corner of my eye I see me and the Aurochs on 3 of the screens and EVERYONE looking at me.

"You guys are smiling now, but not for long! Cuz this year us Aurochs are takin' the cup, HAHAHAHAHA, HAHA!" Everyone looks at me and then back at the Goers once id finished my speech. I climb back down and Wakka slaps me not on the back, but on my head. "Don't give me brain damage before or after the tournament please!" I scream.

"What in Yevon's name were you doin' up there!" Wakka shouts at me while still slapping me. One of the Aurochs come swiftly to my defence. "We sure stood out though, we were on the sphere!" One of the others takes this as a surprise. "We were!" Some people that were running past us shouts, "Maester Mika is here! The number 3 dock!"

"Whats up now?" I ask a little worn out from what had happened and the addition from Wakka's slapping. In all honesty, I wouldn't say this to Wakka but I felt a little dizzy and… well, lazy. Like Blitzball could wait.

"Maester Mika has arrived, that's what." I turn and see a calm Yuna looking at me.

"Mika? Maester?" Lulu sighs.

"Maester Mika is the leader of all the peoples of Spira. He has come all the way from Bevelle, the tournament has been held to honour his 50 years as Maester."

_Whoa!_

"50 years! Shouldn't he be uh, retired by now?" For that, I get another slap of Wakka.

"Hey, mind your mouth now!" I turn and smile apologetically to a really pissed off looking Wakka. I turn and Yuna suggests, "Lets all go see him!" And with that, we take of and go to the left of the dock. The Aurochs run ahead of us and we arrive 2 minutes after. Even though they arrived only 2 minuets before hand, the crowd had expanded. A lot. Its either they pushed into the middle of the crowd of they ran as fast as they could, pushing everyone out of their way. With all the people their all I can make out is part of an old boat and a sail with some funny looking designs.

"Cant see a thing!" I complain while jumping up and down. Tow huge hand flop down onto my shoulders to keep me still.

"Shh." Says Wakka.

Music starts to play and Lulu brings me and Wakka over to a spot where we can actually see something. A man with crazy blue hair is just coming down from the ramp followed by people that look like guards. He slowly walks down the ramp, turns to face the boat when he reaches the ground and prays. Everyone follows his example and then questions are asked, although none of them asked by me. "That's a Guado, right?" "Who could it be!"

Then all the questions are answered, "Isn't that… Maester Seymour!" The man then does the prayer again and everyone again follows his example. An elderly man followed by guard, like the one before, comes down the ramp and stops at the mans feet.

"People of Spira, I thank you for this generous welcome." He looks at the man.

"Rise Maester Seymour and all of you as well. I present to you, the son of Maester Jyscal Guado, who departed for the Farplane a fort night passed. As some of you already know, he has officially been ordained a Maester of Yevon."

The man gets up and turns to us. The first thing I notice is that he has high cheek bones and then he had very funny tattoos on his face, of I believe they were tattoos.

"I am Seymour Guado, I am honoured to receive the title as Maester. In life, my Father Jyscal worked to foster friendship between Man and Guado. I vow to carry on his legacy and to for fill my duties as Maester to the best of my abilities." Everyone prays yet again and this time I don't join in. I get ANOTHER slap from Wakka and a harsh, "You too! Bow your head!" Mika is gone and Seymour and a few Guards are left. I do as im told and when im finished like everyone else I notice Seymour is looking directly at Yuna. He does a weird sort of cold smile and follows the elderly man. I look over to Yuna and she watched the man go.

_Its just to respect him, that's all._

"Really psyches you up ya? Alright last meeting before the match, hustle!" He heads to some stairs and I follow a couple of feet behind him. I see the door he goes through and I decide to wander a little bit. There's so much in this place. There's a movie/sound theatre, there's the stadium of coarse, the town centres awesome. I find my way to the Aurochs changing room and see the whole team there except for Wakka. When the door opens and I come in the team look down and sigh. I look around but he is out of sight.

"Where's Wakka?" I look round to all the players and see they're all staring at the floor.

_Wow, great sign of pride and dignity…_

"At the match up draws." Says the one nearest me.

"We had to play the Goers in the first match last year…" Says the one at the back of the room.

"The year before that and the year before that too!" Says the one nearest the middle.

"Well, we would of lost to anyone anyway…" Says the nearest me again. He sighs and the door opens behind me showing Wakka with a big happy smile.

"Were playing the Al Bhed Psyches first. If we win, were in the finals!" The team look up in surprise and smiles begin to spread like a fatal disease.

"That's right we got seeded! Two win and were the champions!" The team cheer and high five each other and I cant help but give a tiny smile myself.

"First things first, lets go over the basics again boys!" Wakka sits down on a bench as well as I do and the team huddle around him. They sit there for about an hour going over the same techniques over and over again. I yawn and lie down. As I slowly start to doze of, there's a burst at the door revealing Yuna and Lulu, at the same time making me jump and in desperate need of another pair of pants.

"There you are!" She runs over to me with a excited look on her face ,or I think it was an excited look, being as I couldn't see well with my eyes half closed. "Someone said they saw Sir Auron in the café!" My eyes shoot to the sky by these words.

"A-Auron!" She nods in agreement.

"Yes Sir Auron, Lets go find him!"

I bolt for the door and im stopped by, "Ay! Hey hey hey hey hey hey!" I turn and see Wakka raising his fist. "The game starts like real soon!" I bit my lip trying to figure if I should go with Yuna and find the old dog, or stay and play the match while letting her do it. Before I can decide Wakka decides for me, "Come back quick ya!"

"Don't worry, ill be back!"

"Yeah ok…" He rubs his shoulder and turns back to the others.

_Uh oh, never a good sign before a match!_

"Hey Wakka, your stiff man." His frowned face softens a bit and I explain, "No not your face, just breath out relax, like this, just breath…" I hear giggles in the back ground and see Yuna and Lulu give out giggles at what im getting Wakka to do. We head out the door and Yuna brings the old man up. "Maybe now we can find Sir Jecht!" She says cheerfully.

_Oh great…_

"How?" I say glumly.

"Sir Auron was also my fathers guardian, so he might know where Sir Jecht is! Lets go now!" And she runs down the corridor with Kimahri not to far behind her.

_It didn't even occur to me to think that the Auron Yuna was talking about and the Auron I knew from Zanarkand could be two different people, I don't know why, but I knew it was the same guy, I knew it was the same Auron._


	23. The search for Auron

_**The search for Auron**_

I walked down the corridor and noticed these two people talking in the funny language Rikku did.

"Y myto cissuhan!" (A lady summoner!) Says one.

"Fa sicd nabund!" (We must report!) Says the other.

_Wait, These must be Psyches!_

"Hey," I say without thinking. "Al Bhed Psyches right? So these Al Bhed saved me the other day and this girl Rikku gave me food and…" The Al Bhed just look at me as if im nuts.

_Oh yeah…_

"Um, you don't understand me do you?" Feeling a bit embarrassed but glad they don't know why, continue, "Anyway, IF YOU MEET RIKKU, TELL HET "_THANKS_" FOR ME! Oh and as for the first game, may the best team win!"

They continue to stare and I just walk away after that.

I walk to the end of the corridor and up the stair and find that neither Yuna nor Kimahri are nowhere in sight. I wonder for a bit and find them in front of a Camera crew. Yuna spots me and turns to them. "Im sorry please let me through." The people nod and she hurries over to me. "C'mon, lets go!"

I take a moment to observe the surrounding and find that were surrounded by people of all ages and a camera crew still staring at Yuna.

"Your really famous!" She blushes at my comment and continues a little bit down the road. All of a sudden she stops and mutters something like, "I hope we don't get separated…" I don't like to see Yuna without a smile so I call her name and whistle.

She looks shocked, like she had never in her life heard a whistle before. My thought seemed to be true, "What was that!" She questions.

This gives me the giggles and I laugh. She looks a little hurt and I explain.

"In Zanarkand we do this to cheer on Blitz players." I whistle again and walk over.

"You try it too, put your fingers in you mouth like…" I put my fingers in an ok sign and place then just under the tip of my tongue. "This."

She does the same as me except over the tip. "Like this?"

"No, not like that," I put my fingers on the tip and back under it again. "This. Then you just blow." She blows with her fingers in the same position and blows a silent whistle.

"It's not working…" She get a little disappointed.

"Well, you do have to practise, its not that easy to do it first try."

She nods, "OK."

Then something bits me. "Hey! Use that if we get separated! And, I'll come running! OK? Well, guess we should stick together them, till you can do it."

She smiles and replies, "Yes sir!"

We take of down the road with me in front and now and then I can hear Yuna behind me trying to whistle.

_You'll get it soon. _

After a while of walking we appear in a sort of city centre. It was a square area and in the middle was a sort of monument. Around the monument were railings and benches.

Im still a little shocked on how this place is so big where as places like Besaid are small villages.

"Whoa, This is a pretty big town!" I turn to Yuna.

She nods, "Luca is the second largest city in Spira."

"I though every town was little, you know like Besaid and Kilika." I look around the place and see 3 entrances and shops all over the place.

"Towns don't usually get bigger than that." She says in a low voice. "Because when a lot of people start to gather…" I can was she was gunna say next cuz she was struggling to spit it out. "Sin?" She nods again.

"What about Luca? Its safe here?"

This time she shacks her head. "Its not any different, but the stadium is here. The crusaders fight to protect it, with all their strength."

_What?_

"They protect the stadium?" Thinking that my ear have failed me.

_Why protect the stadium when there are lives to be saved?_

" Blitzball it really the only entertainment that we have, Spira's a little short of fun these days." She looks at the floor.

"Whoa, talk about pressure."

She giggles, "That's right. It Zanarkand like this to?"

I look around and pick out the differences. I guess the main difference were the buildings.

"Well there are more buildings, all tall ones and cramped together."

"They must be so tall… don't you ever get dizzy?"

This in return gives me another tiny laugh and she says, "Lets go find Sir Auron!" I look around and see nearby there's a sign above a shop saying "Café" and remember Yuna saying someone found him there. I run over to the Café and head inside with Yuna at my heels and Kimahri at hers.

When we enter there are people around the bar and 2 people that look like Ronso's, but Auron is nowhere in sight. I sigh in disappointment and say "Auron's not here…"

Yuna sighs herself and suggest we ask around and she wonders over to the bar and begin talking to the bar tender. Kimahri on the other hand looks around and sees the other Ronso and begins to walk out of the café. The Ronso see this and approach us.

Theres a gasp and I see the brown Ronso punch Kimahri's shoulder. "Why not talk Kimahri? Not seen Yenke for 10 years, say something!" As usual Kimahri remains silent.

"Kimahri forget Yenke, forget Biran!"

"Leave Kimahri Yenke, Kimahri is small Ronso." Says Biran. In all honesty I always saw Kimahri as big and huge, but next to these to he did seem a little small but I was guessing that's not what they meant.

"Kimahri so small cant see Yenke and Biran's faces!" Biran continues.

Yenke gives a low laugh and says, "Kimahri forget Ronso friends! We taught you much as time of Horn moult! Biran taught Kimahri to be strong Ronso!" Bellows Yenke.

"Maybe taught to much." Says Biran.

I've had enough and I got the feeling so did Kimahri. There was gunna be a fight but Kimahri wasn't going to start it, he was waiting for an invitation. And on queue Yenke punched Kimahri's shoulder and I say, "Take em on."

Kimahri takes his stance. (Which was strange being as he didn't have his spear on him.)

Yenke laughs and Kimahri steps forward and punches him. Kimahri hit Yenke with such force that Yenke fell onto the floor with his eyes at the back of his head, a good sign of being knocked out.

_Way to go!_

"Take it outside the tournaments starting you hear!" The bar tender shouts as gasps fill the café but the Ronso took no notice as Biran punches Kimahri in the jaw. As I watch I hear the T.V/S.V and hear that old man Mika's voice come from it.

"Today on this glorious day, players from all over Spira have assembled here to participate in this great contest of Bravery, Skill and Strength. All of these fine teams, all equally renowned, deserve to win the cup today. Such is the nature of this contest, let us the spectators play our role accordingly. Let us sing to the glory of the winners and applaud equally to the valour of the defeated. Contestants may Yevon be with you!"

During this time the Ronso were still brawling so I couldn't watch the S.V.

I turn my attention to see if Yuna was watching as well as I or if she was watching the S.V, but she, like Auron, was nowhere to be found.

"Kimahri! Yuna's gone!" Kimahri turns and sees that I say the truth and while his back is turned, the cowardly Ronso Biran strikes him. Kimahri ignores this and runs out, me following close behind him.


	24. Kidnapped

_**Kidnapped**_

As we run out of the door we keep our eyes peeled for Yuna.

_How can I let this happen! Curse my thirst for violence!_

We completely exit the café and find Lulu running up to us. "Where in Spira have you been? Yuna been kidnapped by the Al Bhed Psyches! In exchange for her safe return, they want the Aurochs to lose. If they're only Blitzball player I doubt they'd do anything drastic. But we shouldn't take chances, lets go get her!"

_May the best team win? Yeah like that's still in the pocket now…_

"Im going to, this'll be no problem! They're telling the Aurochs to throw the game, as if they needed to. I mean how good a team can they be?"

Even though Lulu was confident about this plan, she did seem a little worried. "Wakka said the same thing. He'll take care of the game, we should go get Yuna. The Al Bhed boat is in dock four, lets go!"

_Al Bhed boat… Rikku…_

And with that, we were running through the city to get to the docks. It wasn't all that difficult being as everyone was either in the stadium, in a shop with a S.V or at home watching the game. I couldn't help but notice, but Lulu seemed to trust me now, only a little but it was still progress.

As soon as we got to the docks, small robots came and attacked us. Between slashes I managed, "Whoa what are they?" With Lulu's panting reply, "Ancient Machina, salvaged by the Al Bhed. They are mostly vulnerable to lightning." A few more hits from me and Kimahri and a couple of spells from Lulu and we were on our way again. We weren't at the Al Bhed dock yet, we were running part the Goers dock. It wasn't long after until we were attacked by, yet again, the Machina robots.

We again obtain battle positions and this time there were tons of them coming at us one at a time. "Looks like the Al Bhed were expecting us…" She said as she gained more power. We fought the robots and more and more came. I was exhausted when Lulu shouted, "Quickly move out of the way!" We did as instructed and Lulu cast a spell that effected all of the robots. They all flopped to the floor and that was the end. It looked like the blow had worn Lulu out as well.

"Whoa… remind me not to get in a fight with you." I say while doing my best not to pant.

"It would be a good thing to keep in mind." She smirks and rests on some cargo crates. Me and Kimahri join her and right in front of us is a S.V playing the game. The score was 2-2 and we hear the commentator Bobba… commentate.

"The Aurochs are keeping the score tied with some excellent defence folks." We watch as Wakka catches the ball and quickly an Al Bhed Psych comes and swim full speed into his gut. "Ohhh, he'll feel that one in the morning!" Jimma the other commentator is also there. "But the referee doesn't call the foul,"

_The bastard was bribed most probably._

"Wakka's taking a real beating out there!" Wakka floats on his stomach for a bit and… the screen goes blank.

"Still in there!" I shout enthusiastically trying not to get my hopes to high.

Lulu though, shakes her head. "He wont last. Wakka's always like that. C'mon lets go." She gets up and is on the move again. We get to the Al Bhed dock and relieved we don't have to fight anymore robots. But the ship starts to move and before I can stop myself I run to the edge and jump onto the boat. Lulu and Kimahri follow and we make all in one piece.

I look around for 2 things: Yuna and to see in the boat really was Rikku's.

_Ok the crates are gone but they could have put them anywhere, everything else looks the same. Except there's a crane here now…_

Before I cant observe anything else, the floor starts to rumble and disappear as a huge machina looking robot comes to greet us. It starts to attack us and we defend ourselves. I go to use the crane to get rid of the machina but it wasn't moving or even budging an inch. "C'mon move!" Lulu pipes up, "Its probably out of power!"

"Wait, Lulu shot electric or thunder spells at it!" She does this and the crane starts to shake violently. I go to the control panels and guide it to the robot. The crane picks it up and throws it over-board.

"G-Good plain T-Tidus…" Pants Lulu. I couldn't believe my ears. Lulu, of all the people in Spira, gave me, Tidus, a compliment!

"Cheers." She frown and replies, "Don't get used to it though."

"I wouldn't expect anything more or less ma'am."

The door to the ship opens and a few Al Bhed are there and we think there gunna be another fight, but they were already taken care of. Before we could do anything an unconscious Al Bhed come flying out of the door. Yuna is stood there observing her work and when she see's were all there she runs over to Lulu and embraces her.

"I hope you hurt them." Says Lulu.

"A little." Yuna replies.

_A little, yeah right. Two people I have new on my list today, Lulu and Yuna._

I get back to looking for any sign of Rikku's ship.

_Nope not this one._

"What is it?" I hear Yuna say from behind me.

"There were these Al Bhed that saved my life when I first came to Spira. They took me on their ship, even gave me food. I was kinda hoping this was the same ship, but its not. I wonder if they're all gone."

"What happened?"

"Sin came up near us. I made it out OK but I don't know what happened to their ship."

Yuna's eyes go a little wide, "Was there anyone called Cid, on that ship?"

_I don't remember really, but I couldn't tell anyways, the only one that talked English to me was Rikku._

"I don't know, they were all speaking that Al Bhed language." I shrugged and sat on the rail.

Yuna seemed a little upset at my response, "I see."

"So who's Cid?"

"He's my Uncle, but I've never actually meet him."

"Hmmm."

_Hang on!_

"Wait, so that means your Al Bhed to, Yuna?"

She nods, "On my Mother side, yes. Cid is my Mother's brother. He became… distant after my Mother married, but she told me to seek him out if I ever needed help."

"Don't tell Wakka, about Yuna's lineage." Lulu begins.

"The thing with Wakka, he never had much love for the Al Bhed."

_Yeah and for Wakka to find out Yuna was… OH NO! Wakka!_

"I gotta tell Wakka!" I shout.

Lulu frown, "I though I told you NOT to tell Wakka…"

"No no," I begin but Yuna finishes.

"The game!"

Lulu finally catching on walks forward and mutter something under her breath and a green light disappears from her hand into the sky.

"C'mon lets go!" I say while running back onto the docks. While we were talking the ship took us back. We ran half way to the stadium and then needed to rest. We caught sight of another S.V and watched as we saw Wakka look out of the sphere pool and smile.

_Oh okay, the light was a signal._

Wakka has the ball and he swims to the goal. A psych swims at him but Wakka flips over him and kick of his back to get extra speed and he throws the ball into the goal with seconds to spare. The over all match was 3-2 to the Aurochs.

"We won!" I shout joined by Yuna, "Were in the finals!"

"Not the most graceful win… if it were Chappu, he'd still be standing." Says Lulu's gloomy voice.

_If nobody can replace Chappu why is she comparing him with Wakka, I've had it._

I approach her, "Hey aren't you being just a little unfair?"

She glares at me. "Excuse me?"

"I mean I know I can never take Chappu's place, you're the one who told Wakka that, right Lulu?" She remains silent. "And I know Wakka would never try and take Chappu's…" Im cut of by the deadliest glare iv had in my life.

"You don't want to finish that sentence." I shake my head and we head down to the Stadium.


	25. Blizball

_**Blitzball**_

The four of us walk back to the stadium and into the changing rooms were I heard, "You sure your alright cap'n? The game starts in a few minutes, you sure your OK?" I heard grunting and then decided to go through the door. Im welcomed by gasps and a Blitzball rolling towards me. I stop it with my foot and kick it up to my hand and look around.

Wakka is on lying down on one of the benches with the rest of the Aurochs surrounding him. "Miss me?" I say before throwing the ball to one of the team members and going to the side to show Yuna, safe and sound.

"Lady Yuna! Are you OK?" She nods and looks at the state of Wakka. "All this because of me…" She mumbles before bowing apologetically and saying, "Im sorry! Im so sorry!"

She and everybody else looks at Wakka for his reaction and he sits up and struggles, "How could you let some Al Bhed kidnap you?" It sounded as if he was blaming Yuna so I step in. "Hey, let it go alright?" He nods and lies back down. "Don't go near Al Bhed anymore OK? They're trouble." Yuna nods and leaves while the siren for the next match begins. In the end the only people left are me and the Aurochs.

I walk over to Wakka and he sits back up and looks at me. "The game starts soon, no time for warm ups."

_Yeah like I need warm ups with what I just went through…_

"Ready?" He asks me.

"Lemme at em!" I shout.

"Alright!" He says groggily.

He stands up and faces the Aurochs. "I got something to tell ya boys. After this game, im retiring. I promised myself this would be my last tournament. Win or lose, im quitting Blitzball." He says sadly. I look around at the sad faces as they brighten up again as Wakka says, "But you know, since were here we might as well win!"

The Aurochs agree and one of them asks, "Am I on the bench?"

Wakka shakes his head, "Im warming the bench," He places his hands on my shoulders. "He's taking my place." He releases me and faces the Aurochs again. "Alright lets win this one! Lets make the Goers Goners!"

"Lets Blitz!" I say to try and lighten the mood more.

The Aurochs shout in agreement and head of towards the sphere pool and wait for me there. I stay with Wakka for a minute and he says to me, "You make sure those boys… do their best ya?" I could tell from the look on his face he expected me to scowl but im all honesty, I smiled. "You bet!"

I run as fast as I can to the pool and the Aurochs are huddled waiting for me. I join the circle and say, "Alright boys, what are we gunna do?"

Together they reply, "WIN!" and one of them add, "For Cap't Wakka!"

After that the doors open and we proceed in to the sphere pool. After we dive in we swim to the middle of the pool and watch as the Goers do the same. On the way there I hear the massive amount of people cheering for the Goers to win, but in that mass I can hear a few people cheering for the Aurochs.

When we all get to the middle, red head is laughing at us for some reason. He swim a little towards me and holds out his hand for me to shake.

_What's he up to?_

I go to shake his hand and just before I shake it, he throws a punch at me and misses by a mile off. He laughs again and swims off with his team. The game begins with the Aurochs getting the ball and quickly scoring the first goal in the first 5 minuets.

_Not bad!_

The Goers then score the next two goals and the ball it back on the Aurochs team. I look around to see if I can spot anyone I know in the stands. I see Kimahri and Lulu standing in the front rows and Yuna not to far of and not to far from them, I can see him. Him. The man who made all this possible. Auron it standing at the entrance to the stands with most of his face covered so not to draw attention to himself. I keep staring at him without knowledge the ball is heading right towards me.

Auron sees this and signals for me to concentrate on the game. I see the ball hurling at me and luckily I catch it.

_Of course he would know im here._

I swim for the goal ignoring everyone else and do my old mans move, The Jecht Shot. It successfully scores and make the score equal. The bell for half time goes and we head back to the changing rooms where Wakka is waiting for us.

"Zone defence boys, stop those Goers!" He shout with the Aurochs behind me shouting that their gunna win.

"What about me?" I ask.

"Get the ball and just shoot like crazy ya!"

Then one of the Aurochs shouts "The Goers are going down!"

Wakka smiles at us and sits back donw. "Alright hustle!" The bell for the next half of the match goes and before I can leave Wakka stops me, "By the way Brudda, nice touch with that last goal! Do your best to do it again ya!" I nod and go back into the pool. I do as Wakka says and get the ball but instead of The Jecht Shot, I tried something different. I flipped in the water and performed a successful Sphere Shot. The crowd roars and the Goers are getting sour faced.

_Ok 20 minuets left!_

I get the ball again but something stops me from playing. I can hear a slight cheer from the crowd except they were shouting a name. The shouting gets bigger until I can finally hear what they're saying: Wakka. People are now out of their seats and rooting for Wakka to come back out.

_I shouldn't really take this away from him or the Aurochs. Plus this will give me a chance to find Auron._

I throw the ball randomly, get on my back and swim down to the exit of the pool. I can just hear one of the commentators say, "He's leaving the sphere pool! He may be injured!"

_What? What a load of shit this guys talking!_

I get out of the pool and Wakka is there staring at me. "What are you doing? The match aint over!"

"They want you out there big guy! Give em all you got, you know if you can."

"What are you talking about?" He looks puzzled then ever and I notice the S.V he's watching the match from it on mute. I grab the controller and press the un-mute button and the room is filled with people shout Wakka's name.

Wakka looks shocked and then when I hit the mute button again he nods and get up from the bench. "You sure your alright with this?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Kick the Goers asses!" He nods and runs into the sphere pool.

_To be honest, I did kinda feel left out but, id really was The Aurochs and Wakka's show after all._

I run to the S.V and press the un-mute button again and wait. After about a minuet the crowd stops shouting for Wakka and start cheering more loader and more crazier.

"I wonder what's happening, the crowd is going wild!" Then through the goal comes Wakka swimming towards the Aurochs.

"Ah, its Wakka! He's back on the field and ready to go! The Aurochs seem glad to have him back." He swims to the team and talks with em. He high fives one of them and the game continues. The Goers score one more goal as do the Aurochs and the game ends.

"Unbelievable folks! The Aurochs win the match 4-3 folks! This is one for the record books!" After a while the crowd dies down and begins to leave the stadium. As does Auron.

_Nah, I'll catch up to him later._

I go back into the sphere pool and see Wakka just lying on his back with a big smile on his face. I swim over to his and give him a thumbs up. Before he could but up however, The fish-men from Kilika waters were back, somehow. They swam all around us. Me and Wakka get out weapons and fight them. Once again though, my inside don't want to stay that way. I've got one hand on my sword and one hand on my gut. Eventually we get out of the sphere pool and head to the stands where millions of fiends have gotten loose.

Wakka bandages my stomach and says, "That'll do till we find Yuna."

_Oh yeah Yuna's a healer. I'd actually like to go through that experience again._

When Wakka turns I give a mischievous smile and follow him to the stands. Yuna, Lulu and Kimahri are still in the front rows, battling fiends. Just near the west exit however, is Auron fighting a fiend himself. He defeats it with ease and it dissolves into pyerflies. Me and Wakka run up to him, me shouting, "Auron!" and Wakka shouting, "Sir Auron!"

"So… you do know him?" I ask Wakka.

He nods. "Yeah, best guardian there ever was!"

I approach Auron and just before I get to him I hear a flapping sound.

_Oh no, not one of these again!_

AN: Terribly sorry for the crappy Blitzball game. In all honestly I hate Blitzball which is why I'm relived to get this chapter over and done with ( I shouldn't be really since this is my 25th chapter ) but anyways, hope you enjoyed the story so far and keep your eyes peeled for more!


	26. The Truth Hurts

_**The Truth Hurts**_

We watched as one of the huge bird flies up and become equal to our height and we get our weapons out and prepare to fight. It takes a few hits and after Auron hit it with his Katana as he likes to call it, it goes down in a flash. Before we can go and help anyone, we are greeted by 3 more fiends.

"Gimme a break!" I shout at the top of my voice.

"Well, at least we know nothing with you has changed huh Tidus?" Auron mocks.

Wakka looks at us in surprise and whispers to me. "W-Wait, you personally know Sir Auron?" I nod at I attack the fiend closest to me.

Then the strangest thing happens. A claw falls out of the sky and into the ground and slowly starts to come up. I'm not able to tear my eyes from the claw as it brings up the head of the most monstrous beast I have ever seen. Its eyes start to glow as it delivers death blows to all of the fiends that are in the stadium. Once the killing is complete I see Seymour in the balcony being prayed to.

Once the praying was done, Seymour looks at the monster and then points to the sky.

_That's strange Yuna does that to Valefor and Ifrit when she dismiss' them… Wait! That's an Aeon?_

I couldn't believe it. It was way to monstrous to be an Aeon. After that I turn to see if Wakka and Auron are still behind me which they are but as soon as we see the rest of the party Auron says, "Meet me at the dock once you get cleaned up." And then he walks away, without anyone but me and Wakka knowing he was ever around.

_Cleaned up? What's he talking abo- oh…_

I lift up my hand which is covered in my blood. Yuna comes up to me and Wakka and instantly notices this and forces me down on the floor and instructs people to get away.

Im starting to feel dizzy as she goes through the healing process again and this time it was even more horrible. This time Yuna was crying. I lift my hand up and wipe away the fresh tears sliding down her cheeks as she tells herself more then me, "It's gunna be o-ok."

Never a good sign. By this time im so dizzy I become unconscious and wake up to the Aurochs staring over me with wide smiles. This obviously scares the hell outta me so I quickly get up braking 2 of the Aurochs's noses. I look around and see only Wakka and the team surrounding me. No Yuna to thank or Lulu to scowl at me.

I get up and im bear hugged by Wakka. "Thought we'd lost you for a minuet there brudda!"

"W-Wakka! I-I cant b-breath, Wakka!" I shout trying to hit him.

He puts me down and he marches me out of the stadium with the Aurochs.

The Aurochs were in a very happy mood since this morning, well beating the Goers that not surprising. In one of the players hands was a big blue goblet looking crystal. The Auroch throws the goblet to me and just my the weight of it I can tell this is the cup.

I get a head lock by Wakka, nearly dropping the cup as he says, "Well done boys! We won ya! This is coming home." I takes th cup from me and holds it high. Were just about to go pass the docks until I remember im meeting Auron there. Wakka looks at me strangely.

"Whats up?" He says.

"Remember Auron? Well, course you'd remember him… anyway he told me to meet him at the docks after Yuna healed me."

Wakka looked shocked at this. "Well, don't wanna keep a man like him waiting! Get going." I nod and wonder down to the docks. I don't even know what im gunna do when I see him.

"_Hey Auron! When can I go home?" "What's up big guy! Look I know we had our ups and downs but no hard feelings about sending me away from my life." "HEY ASSHOLE!.." Wait no he's kill me if I said that…_

I saw him sitting silently on one of the crates and he stands when he see's me approach. No one says anything for a few minuets until I just snap and run at him. I grab his coat and try to lift him of his feet, embarrassingly not succeeding but I don't care from all the rage building.

"Hey you don't just stand there… ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT! Getting swallowed by Sin, ending up here in Spira… not being able to go back to Zanarkand, EVERYTHING EVERYTHING!" I pause for a moment. "Im tellin' ya, its all you fault."

I had calmed down a little when he starts laughing at my anger. At the end of this I let go of him and let the question be answered.

"Who are you anyway?" He doesn't reply.

_OK lets try another one._

"You knew my old man didn't you?" He nods and this time replies with "Yeah."

"And you also knew Yuna Father?"

"That's correct." He says calmly.

_This… This cant be true._

"Hey man, there's no way, that just impossible." This time he turns to faces me and replies with, "Nothing impossible about it. Jecht, Braska and I, together we defeated Sin 10 years ago. Then ii went to Zanarkand, where I watched over you, so that one day I could bring you to Spira."

"Why did it have to be me?" I ask while walking away from him.

"Jecht asked me to."

This brings to my attention. Theres an awkward silence until I break it.

"Is he alive?" I ask turning to him again.

He considers this for a moment. "It depends on what you mean by "alive", he is…no longer human. But then, I felt something of Jecht, there in that shell, couldn't you?"

_What's he talking about?_

I give him a confused look. "You must have felt him when you can in contact with Sin."

_**I was sucked into Sin and Auron was nowhere to be found. I looked round and saw that there was a J on fire in the distance. I was swimming in nothing, the air I suppose. I got the feeling my old man was behind me, in front of me and beside me. I was creepy and I didn't like the feeling.**_

"_**My…old man?"**_

_Wait, to feel him while in contact with Sin that would mean… NO!_

I look at Auron with pure astonishment and back away a little. "It cant be…"

I take a step towards me and replies with my fear apparently true. "It is. Sin is Jecht."

Another silence and again I break it. "NO! That's ridicules, no way! I don't believe you!"

I turn and go to run from him. "But it is the truth. You'll see for yourself. Come with me." He orders.

"If I say no?" I ask, trying to get the better of him.

"Every story must have an ending."

_Oh God not this again…_

"I don't care about your stories!"

Auron for the first time in his life I suppose, looks hurts.

"I see. Sorry you feel that way. Fine then, come or don't come its your decision."

This angers me even more though and I scream in frustration "What am I supposed to say! You tell me its my decision, but I don't have a choice do I? You're the only one who can tell me what's going on anyways! I have to go with you I have to!"

There is yet another silence between us as I turn my back, not being able to even look at him. I hear him say, "Irritating, I know. Or are you afraid?" I ignore this and he puts his hand on my shoulder. "Its alright." He lets go and I hear him start to walk away.

_What are you doing Tidus!_

The one question I've wanted to ask and he's walking away. "Auron…" The footsteps stop and I continue. "Will I ever go home, back to Zanarkand?" Yet another silence and he says softly, "That's up to Jecht. Im going to offer my services to Yuna, come." And he walks off.

_Just face it, in reality Auron is the only one I really know and unfortunately, trust. I haven't really got a choice in the matter._

Obediently I followed behind him as we walked in silence to the square where the café was.

"Excuse me child, you haven't seen the Lady Yuna around anywhere have you?" Auron asked a small girl.

She turns and point to the stairs. "Up there." And she runs off.

We start to head up the stair and we hear part of the groups conversation.

"…Knows him apparently. You were right he did meet someone he knew." Says Lulu.

"Do you think he'll find a way back to Zanarkand?" Asks Yuna.

"In any case I'll miss having him around." Declares Wakka.

Me and Auron are now off the stairs and Yuna, Lulu, Kimahri and Wakka are now in sight.

"He's still in town isn't he? I think I'll go see him." She turns to go but stops as she see's me and Auron approach.

She gasps and says, "Sir Auron!" And everyone but Kimahri does the prayer.

"Yuna." Auron says.

She bows he head a little bit. "Sir?"

"I wish to become your guardian, do you accept?" He says boldly.

_Well, at least he hasn't changed in the slightest. Still got lots of front on him._

Yuna gasps again and her eyes go wide. Wakka on her right blurts out, "You serious?"

"You refuse?" He asks, a little shocked.

"No no! We accept, right everyone?" Yuna asks and Wakka instantly replies, "O-Of course, no problem at all!"

Lulu thank goodness was the only one of them (Besides Kimahri but he goes without saying) that was calm about this. "But why?" She asks.

"I promised Braska." Auron replies, just as calm as Lulu.

You promised... my Father? Thank you Sir Auron, your welcome to join us." She bows again.

"And," Auron continues while bringing a hand back and grab the hood of my jacket. "He comes to." He says while dragging me forward and pushing me in front of the group.

I stumble and regain my balance. "H-Hi guys… uh howdy." I say lamely as I bow to them and Auron states behind me, "This one I promise Jecht."

Yuna took this opportunity and asked as if she had eavesdropped on our whole conversation, "Is Sir Jecht alive?"

Auron shrugs, "Cant say. Haven't seen him in 10 years."

_Why not just tell them the truth? You did it to me easy enough._

Yuna frowns a bit, "I see."

"You'll meet eventually."

Yuna smiles a bit and nods. "Yes. Im looking forward to it."

He nods and the conversation between them had ended. He approaches Lulu and asks, "What our itinerary? Where are we headed?" and he and Lulu go to one side and discuss the plan of action.

"Hey! Come with me!" Yuna says to me and goes to the railing and I slowly walk towards her.


	27. Smiling

_**Smile**_

"Hey! Come with me!" Yuna says to me and goes to the railing and I slowly walk towards her.

I kick the floor a bit as she watches me and I forgot she healed me from the stadium.

"Um, thanks for earlier." I say as I point to my stomach.

She smiles and just says in reply, "Hey watch!" She turns towards the railings, put her Thumb and Finger in her mouth and lets out an ear piercing whistle. You would of though id be full of praise for her but from the previous conversation I had with Auron it left me a little depressed and all the praise I could conjure up for her was, "Hey, you got pretty good."

I did feel a little guilty bringing my down ness into the conversation, but she didn't seem to mind, all she cared about know was why I wasn't as cheery as I normally was.

"You sound sad." She asks with a little frown on her face.

"Yeah maybe." I say even more down now I know im not getting out of this one without expressing my _feelings_.

"Wanna scream?" She asks, a small smile returning to her face.

_Yeah that worked last time. I was sad then, but this a completely different type of sadness._

Even I had to force the corners of my mouth up to show her I wasn't as down as she though, but she noticed it was a fake one.

_Damn her eagle eyes! Her beautiful mismatched eyes…_

When I saw she wasn't buying it I gave up with the smiles. "I don't think that's gunna work this time."

She sighs silently and begins, " You know…" She hesitates.

"Hmmm?" I say, trying to help her spit out what she had to say.

"Its embarrassing to say this myself, but Summoners and their Guardians and kind of like Spira's ray of light. A lot of people in Spira depend on us. I learned to practise smiling, when im feeling sad, you know?" She turns to face me before continuing. "I know its hard."

I thought about this for a moment, "Yeah, I understand, I think."

She smiles more now and says, "Right…"

_Left_

"Now lets see what you can do!"

"Huh?"

"C'mon!"

I still don't understand what she means and then its hits me, Oh no!

I try and force a tiny smile like I did only a few minuets ago but couldn't so I brought my hands up, grabbed my cheeks and pulled them up make a smile and a funny face in the process.

I cant help but laugh a bit and then put my hands down being as the smile I had now wasn't totally fake.

"Next try laughing out loud." She says.

"W-What!" I say in utter shock.

_Laugh? C'mon now Yuna…_

"C'mon show me!" She says while backing away from the railing, giving me more room.

I take a moment to register and then my legs decide for me. I walk to the railings and take a deep breath and let out the most lame fake laugh there ever was.

_Great. I wanted to make history, but not like this…_

But I continue to fake laugh and then I can hear Yuna behind me. "You probably shouldn't laugh anymore."

No doubt she got that idea from looking around, seeing every eye on me laughing like a friend had told a so-not-funny joke. Most probably Wakka's thoughts were,

_Wow… that is the worst case of Sins Toxin I have ever seen…_

I still continue to laugh. In all honesty it was making me feel better. After the next round of laugh had gone and I prepare to do another when I hear a deep breath coming from my left and see Yuna looking at me and then at the same time we turn our head and let out a duet of fake laughs. A moment passes and we stand there in silence.

Then we start to giggle a bit and then we start to laugh for real at how we were acting. Bit like when we were on the boat. We continue to laugh and she struggles out, "T-To funny!" Which I quickly bring back, "It was your idea!" After we calmed down she turns to me and says, "Thank you."

_You? Say Thank you to me? I think you got it backwards._

I look at her questioningly and she explains further. "I want my journey to be full of laughter."

_Ah Okay._

"Ok." I reply while leaning on the railing. Then she says the last thing I would of thought would come out of her mouth.

"If… we should get separated, just whistle." She turns to me. "I'll come running, I promise." She smiles and I turn a VERY dark shade of Red. I stand there for a little while just taking this in. In that time I had a little opportunity to see how beautiful she was in this light… heck ANY light really. Her eyes… I didn't see them like this before. One was Emerald green, which of course I already knew but it wasn't as bright as now, and the other was ocean Blue, a bit like mine. I admired her for a little bit and then snapped out of it.

"Well, lets go." I go past her a see the whole group looking at her and me. "What are you looking at?"

To this Wakka replies, "We were just worried you guys right have gone crazy."

Smiling still Yuna step forwards. "Sorry. Well then, alright? Now we shall go to the temple and Djose, and guardians, don't forget to smile."

At this I smile and run up the stairs in front of the rest and arrive at a big wide open space on grass and path.


	28. The Mi'ihen High Road Part 1

_**The Mi'ihen High Road Part 1**_

I reach the top of the stairs and see a long green pathway with statures and ruins along the way. When the rest reach me we head down the pathway. I hear a few sighs from Wakka as he come over and walks beside me. "What's up big guy?"

I looks at the ground, kicking pebbles and stones as we go. "It's nothin'."

_If that's how you want it._

"Ok." And we continue down the path. Another sign comes from him. "What's wrong." I ask again.

"I told ya it's nothing. Leave it ya." He snaps.

_Fine. Have it your way._

I stop and he looks at me as I slowly lower myself to the ground and cross my legs, making sure nobody would be able to move me. The rest continued down the path and Wakka just stared at me. "What do you think your doin'?"

"Tell me what's wrong. Im not going down the path just to listen to your depressed breathing." I say as I cross my arms over my chest like a kid who wanted ice cream.

"Oh come on. Your being childish." He say as he walks over and grabs my arms and attempts to pull me up but fails.

"And your not?" I reply.

I looks at me and then at the group way ahead of us. "Fine. I'll tell ya while we catch up."

I eye him for a bit, get up and walk down the path. "What's on your mind?"

He is silent for a few seconds and says back, "I'm already missing Blitzball."

"Already?" I say frowning a bit. "Your… not gunna go back are you? You know, to Luca?"

"No, no. It's just, I'm thinking, what if? I mean, the season's just started and that was the first match we won."

"Yeah." I urge him to continue.

"What do you think would happen if I stayed?" He asks me.

"I think you would have regretted it. I mean, if Yuna defeated Sin and you weren't there to help, you were at Luca playing Blitz I don't think people would take to kindly to you, in my opinion."

I continues to look at the floor and says, "Yeah, I guess so." He looks up and see's the group miles ahead of us. We run to them and when we reach them, a fiend came out of nowhere and stood in front of us, blocking our path.

"Ha! That one looks slow!" I say.

"It's also tough. Let me handle this." Auron says Auron on my right.

"No way! I can take it!" I slash at the fiend but my sword just goes straight through it with out killing it.

"What the…"

"Hmph!" Says Auron as he runs at the fiend and swipes at it and kills it.

Wakka says from my left, "Told ya! Sir Auron's the best!"

_Whatever. No need to kiss his ass._

"I could have done that." I say glumly

We go down the path a little until I see a statue of some guy raising his staff. I observe him until an old man comes and tells me who he is.

"This is a statue of Lord Mi'ihen. Eight centuries ago, he founded a legion know today as the crusaders. In just a few short years after their founding, their ranks grew throughout Spira. The masters of Yevon feared an uprising and accused them of rebellion. So Lord Mi'ihen walked down this very road to go face their changes and refute them. He succeeded in winning the Maesters trust and his legion became and arm of the Yevon clergy. It was then that Yevon gave them the name "Crusaders" which they have kept ever since and the rest is history." The old man says and he walks down the road.

_So the road was named after him._

I observe him a little more and continue down the road with the group. We came across what looked to be a ruin from a town or a city and my suspicion was corrected when the old man came along again. "Do you know what those ruins are from?" He asks me.

Yuna comes and looks at the ruin as well and I reply, "Some old City?"

"Correct. A city most ancient. A terrible testament to Sins power. I tremble every time I see them. Compared to Sin, Humans are mere mud puppies." This is when Yuna chimes in. "But I believe humans are the only ones capable of defeating Sin."

The old man smiles. "A good reply. I am glad to here you say that Mi Lady Summoner."

She gasps at this.

_Everyone knows her by now, wouldn't she have gotten used to it?_

"Where are my manners? I am Maechen, a scholar at your service Mi Lady. I am on a journey, studying the history of our world Spira, seeking its stories and secrets. My travels have taken me too many places and I trouble by what I have seen. Fragile smiles on people's faces crumbling at the mere mention of Sin. They are counting on you Mi Lady. Give them reason to rejoice once more." He says as he bows and Yuna replies confidently, "I will."

The man wonders of down the road and me and Yuna look at the ruin until the rest of the group catch up. We had to fight a few more battle until Lulu says out of nowhere, "I have learn Fira and Blizara."

_Fira and Blizara?_

Yuna smiles and congratulates her and Wakka say, "Uh oh…"

I ask, "What's she talking about?"

"Trouble. You know she's a Black Mage ya?" I nod. "Well usually Black Mages start out with spells like Fira and Blizzard, but given enough training they can learn Fira and Blizara; upgrades or Fire and Blizzard, and given even more training, Fira came turn into Firaga and Blizara into Blizaga."

I was worried at the even mention of the names. "And anyone can learn?"

"Well you would need help from a Black Mage of course, but if you're a Black Mage and you get used to big spells, the big spells start to get bigger."

_Whoa! Cool! Why's Wakka worried about this?_

"But why does this make you afraid? Lulu's on our side isn't she?"

He nods and says, "Yeah, but see, when I first learned Dark attack… I tested it on her. She was blind for 2 weeks and she said, "When I learn Firaga, your gunna be my test dummy!" Am I've been afraid of her ever since."

"Dark attack huh? Could you teach me?" I asks trying to forget the funny image of Wakka hitting Lulu over and over again.

"Its not really all that difficult. All ya do it look at your opponent and imagine it with smoke coming out of its eyes and attack. But I gotta warm ya only do it on small fiends first. It took me a while to properly learn it."

I nod. "So… So I can learn, um, Black magic too?"

Wakka nods and laughs a little. "But it would take you a while to convince Lulu to teach ya though!" He slaps me on the back and we both laugh. "But hey, I heard she's trying to teach Yuna. Once Yuna starts casting spells, well, Black magic spells, you go ask her ya?"

I nod and we stop because some people on yellow birds come riding towards us. Wakka shouts, "Chocobo!"

"Choke-a-bow?" I asks completely confused.

"No, not Choke a bow, I mean Chocobo!"

"OK…" I ask and let it slide.

There were 3 "Chocobo's" and 3 people riding them and the Chocobo's stop in front of us. The woman in front says, "Lady Summoner I presume?"

Yuna nods and says back, Yes. I am Yuna."

The woman looks pleased and introduces herself. "I am Lucil, captain of the Djose Chocobo knights." The woman the her left says, "And I'm Elma, we've been changed to guard the High Road."

Lucil continues. "There have had reports of a large fiend appearing in this area with a taste for Chocobo's. Do take care, Summoner Yuna, if you are to rent any Chocobo's."

Yuna does the prayer and says, "Thank you. We will be careful."

"Good. We should get back to our rounds. Farewell." Lucil waves and Elma says after her, "Our prays are with you." And they take of on the Chocobo's.

"A large fiend?" I say.

_I want some fun!_

"Lets go get him!" I shout.

Auron frowns, "Why?"

_Well I cant say that I wanna put our lives in danger just to have fun so…_

"It's the right thing to do!"

"It's the right thing to do?"

I nod and he laughs.

"What did I say now?" I ask frustrated. Every time I say something or other he laughs.

"Jecht said that a lot to. And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska and me." He laughs again and we head down the path.


	29. The Mi'ihen High Road Part 2

_**The Mi'ihen High Road Part 2**_

We walked down the road for about half an hour and a woman in a green dress and ear muffs stopped us. "Ah, a Summoner party."

"You to are a Summoner?" Yuna asks as she observed the woman's strange clothing.

The woman nods. "My name is Belgemine, and you are?"

_Hang on. If she's also a Summoner, where are her guardians?_

"My name is Yuna." Yuna says as she does the prayer.

"Ah, the High Summoners daughter, that quite a name to live up to. But you are still fresh on the road are you not?"

Yuna lowers her head and looks at the floor. "Yes, I am."

Belgemine says, "I might have a few things to teach you. Let us see which are stronger; My Aeons or yours. A one on one match, not to the death or course. What do you say?"

Yuna considers this for a minuet and then nods and says, "I'll do my best."

"Good. Before we begin…" She does something with her hands and a light envelops Yuna. "You Aeons are fully healed. You can fight with your full streanght. Now, shall we?"

The party spreads out and gives the two Summoners a tremendous amount of space. The ground starts to crack and the Aeons known as Ifrit flew out of the ground and into the air and landed beside Belgemine. "Call which ever Aeons you want."

Yuna steps back and does the pose for Valefor and she drops out of the sky and lands beside her. The battle starts when Valefor strikes Ifrit and Ifrit countered with a Meteor Strike. After a few round of this, Valefor ditches the routine and went into a defensive stance and Ifrit does a move known as Hells fire.

Ifrit jumps into the air and throws two fire ball at Valefor making her go even higher into the air with a wall of fire surrounding her. Then Ifrit make a fire ball out of its mouth and spits it at her. The wall of fire became a ball of fire and Ifrit lands and digs his two massive claws into the ground and throws half the earth in front of him into the air at Valefor. The ball of fire explodes and Valefor is set free again, to die, I though after what I just witnessed.

You would of thought Valefor would have been killed, but no. Valefor had somehow predicted Ifrit was gunna use Hell Fire and went into a defensive stance to guard against it, making the result of the blow have small harm.

After a few more strikes Valefor circles and swiftly goes higher into the air a little bit. Then she gathers energy into her mouth and let it go making a line go straight across Ifrit. The line exploded and ended with Ifrit lying on the ground, little by little turning into pyerflies.

"Stop." Says Belgemine. "That it enough." Valefor understands this and cries in victory.

Shortly Yuna dismisses Valefor and turns to Belgemine. "Not bad for one so young, I underestimated you. Take this, you've earned it." She gives Yuna a echo ring and Yuna puts it in her pocket.

"You show promise. With more training you could defeat Sin."

Yuna lights up at this and says, "Thank you! B-But I think you will defeat Sin before I am able to."

Belgemine looks a little down at this. "I… cannot. Or should I say, I was not able to."

Yuna eyes widen. "You mean…"

Before Yuna could finish her sentence Belgemine begins to walk away. "Farwell Yuna, we'll meet again." She wonders down the pathway and out of site.

We go down the path for about an hour and then we have to stop, eat and rest.

A woman and a little girl come up to us and the woman says, "My Lady Summoner!"

The little girl's eyes go wide and she runs to Yuna. "You're a Summoner?"

Yuna nods. "Yes. My name is Yuna."

"Im Calli."

"Nice to meet you, Calli." Yuna smiles and goes down Calli's height and she asks, "Lady Yuna, are you going to bring us the Calm?"

"Yes. Very soon." Yuna states cheerfully.

Calli starts running around Yuna and the woman cheering in happiness.

The woman smiles and looks at Yuna. "We're looking forward to another Calm My Lady Summoner."

"I'll do my best." Replies Yuna.

The woman turns to us. "And good luck to your guardians as well." We all smile and she says to the running child, "Calli, come on now darling, time to go home." And she goes of down the path. Calli turns to us and waves and Yuna waves back. When they leave fully I ask, "What the Calm?"

Lulu answers my question. "The Calm is a time of peace. It begins when a Summoner defeats Sin and lasts until Sin reappears."

"Huh?"

_Im still confused. Isn't the whole reason to defeat Sin is to… make it go away?_

"Sin dies and is reborn." Says Yuna, making it more clear.

"I get it! I thought it was weird. Yuna dad defeated Sin 10 years ago right? But Sin's still here, didn't make much sense till now."

_Then why go to all the trouble of the pilgrimage when it doesn't really go away._

"But wait, if it just comes back…" Yuna cuts me off. "Don't say it isn't worth it! Because it is! For people to not wake up in the middle of the night because their home is being attacked by Sin or having to look out nearly everywhere they go in case Sin or its spawn appear. It is worth it. It is…"

I take in what she said and nod and she and the others go down the path.

_Even for a little, people can sleep in their beds without being afraid. That kind of time, is worth anything. "Don't say it isn't worth it." You words that day Yuna, I remember them well._

I follow behind them, a little guilty by what I said, making Yuna angry, maybe.

After a while I decided to catch up to them but when I did I didn't say anything. In the front I saw Luzza and Gatta and a Chocobo toeing a cart behind it. Luzza and Gatta walk for a while until they have to rest and we join them.

Gatta see's us first and of course, he comments about the game, not that im complaining.

"Hey, we saw the game! You guy were great!" Says Gatta.

"Congratulations Wakka!" Luzza says while Wakka blushes.

Then two Chocobo's come and we see Lucil and Elma coming toward us. Elma says, "Hey, stop loafing around!"

"Uh, the Lady Summoner and her guardians…" Gatta starts.

Lucil cuts him off. "This mission requires our full attention. We've no time to waste! Understood?"

Lulu looks at me and says, "I like her." Which makes me chuckle a bit making Lucil look at me strangly.

Luzza covers for me though. "Yes ma'am, apologize ma'am."

Lucil looks at him and says carry on and she and Elma leave.

Luzza turns to Gatta and says, "See? Keep your head down and say "Sir" a lot and you'll do fine."

Gatta smiles and says, "Right… Sir."

Yuna laughs at this and Luzza says, "Hey Yuna, even tough Yevon rejected us, we still believe in you. That wont ever change."

Yuna smiles. "Thank you Sir Luzza, Sir Gatta. But you know, its not to late for 'you to go back to Besaid and…" Luzza ignores her.

"We should get going Sir." They head to the cart to find it's not there but half way down the pathway and they chase after it, making me and Wakka laugh and Lulu give us looks.


	30. Hello Readers!

Hello readers! Are you enjoying my Read Through so far? Or course your not!

Im sorry about my very glum writing recently and im sorry about not being able to update as much as I can. I haven't had much time to write as my (Stupid) school has decided to give me detentions for something's I didn't do (Cough Did do Cough) and it has been taking a bit of my time off of me.

I wont be able to update till Saturday or Sunday (21st or 22nd of July) as this week is my final week of school for this year.

Tuesday and Wednesday I will be doing a hell of a lot of homework and most probably wont finish till 10pm or so, Thursday I will be breaking up and most probably going to a party and will be tired to next day, Friday I will be in bed ALL day (The teenage years you gotta love em) because of the previous night, Saturday I will be visiting family and if I get back early enough I will update hopefully, and Sunday. The day of updates. If I don't update you on Saturday then I pinkie promise I will update on Sunday so don't go to all the measures of saying im not gunna finish this Read through because I WILL!

Oh! And a big Thank-You to LeonFan2k3, Teamplaya101 and Rikkumorningstar for you lovely comments/reviews and helpful advise.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the Read Through and I will see you on Saturday or Sunday!

(P.S: If you wanna know what I did to land me in so much trouble, Message me on my Fan Fiction or my Email and I will answer. LOL me and my friends are still laughing about it!)

My Email: RJay231 .uk

Password: Yeah right!


	31. The Mi'ihen High Road Part 3

_**The Mi'ihen High Road Part 3**_

We continue down the road in silence until a argument breaks it. "We'll defeat Sin ANYWAY we can!" Shouts a guard arguing with a woman in a green dress.

"But… Yevon's teachings say…" She struggles as she knows this is a battle she has already lost and the guard walks away saying, "Enough!"

"I…I only meant to…" She stars at the floor but her face lights up at the site of Yuna. "Are you alright?" Asks Yuna.

The woman does the prayer and says in admiration, " Lady Summoner?"

Yuna nods and does the prayer back to the woman. "Yes, I am Yuna."

The woman's eyes go wide and she says, "It is an honour, My Lady. My name is Shelinda. I am a disciple of Yevon."

A frowning Wakka says, "What was all that about? The crusaders operation?"

Shelinda nods.

"You mean the one Gatta and Luzzu were talking about?" I ask.

Wakka grunts in confirmation and Shelinda continues. "I heard they were to use forbidden machina. I had to stop them!"

"Why?" I ask totally confused.

_What's wrong with using machina? If I remember rightly, Zanarkand had a few machina…_

Lulu answers. "The use of machina is strictly forbidden by the Yevon priest hood."

"That's bad ya?" Wakka says, directing the question at Auron.

But Auron only shrugs. "Let them use what ever they want. They still wont defeat Sin."

Obviously Shelinda knew who Auron was but this didn't stop her from yelling as him, "Its not about defeating Sin! The teachings of Yevon MUST be upheld!"

Wakka second this by agreeing with her.

Shelinda just shakes her head violently. "But you don't understand! The crusaders won't even listen to me, and its all because im just a lowly acolyte…"

Now its Yuna's turn to shake her head. "Don't say that! I haven't been a Summoner for very long myself, you see? Still, I cant put myself down every time I fail. People are depending on me. They're depending on both of us!"

Shelinda just stares for a bit and then slowly starts to shake her head while saying, "Yes, yes your right My Lady, absolutely right. Thank you so much Lady Yuna. Now, I feel I have the courage to finish my training." She looks over to the man she was arguing with and runs of to him. "Thank you, farewell!"

After a few more battles with fiends we arrived at a shop with funny writing on the top which I recognize to be Al Bhed or something similar.

"We rest here." Auron said, not giving us a vote or anything. But, of course, Wakka protests. "But this is an Al Bhed shop!"

Auron raises his eye brows questionably. "Is that a problem?"

Wakka is taken aback by this and quickly searches for a defence. "Th-They don't believe in Yevon and in Luca they… they kidnapped Yuna!"

_You sorry son of a… Everyone knows the real reason you don't want to stay here and that is because of Chappu and I understand that, but don't try go pushing all the blame on Yuna!_

"Where were her guardians?" Auron asks.

_Yeah! Way to go A- Wait. I was the one who let her get… Fine, Bring on the guilt fest…_

Wakka grunts and whistles like he had nothing to do with it, as you do, and Yuna pipes up, "Sir Auron is just concerned for your health."

_HA! Good one Yuna!_

"Im not tired one bit!" Wakka states crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, I am." Auron says as he wonders into the shop, and we follow him in, Wakka cursing under his breath.

_Yeah, get used to it bud._

We enter the shop and it actually looks kinda nice. When we went in, in front of us was the desk and all around were things on shelves with souvenirs on them. I yawn a couple of times and Auron says to me, "You'd best get a room. They're only 20 gil a night."

I walk over to the desk obediently and ask for a key. The woman gives me one and on the key is a tag with the number 29. on it.

"The rooms on the left hand side. You cant miss it." She smiles and turns back to the rest. As I open the door I see a couch, an S.V and beds.

_Whoa! Not bad!_

I snap out of my thoughts and open my eyes wide when I see the Pizza oven. I walk towards it but stop when I hear Wakka ask the Lady if she had any spear rooms. She says no and he chuckles evilly and starts walking over to my room. I sprint back to the door, shut and lock it. Then I run over to the units and slam them to the door. As predicted Wakka starts banging on the door while I switch on the oven and tease, "MMMM! Wow Wakka! I wish you were over on this side of the door as these PIZZAS are sooooo yummy!"

More banging and about 15 minuets later he leaves and im so full I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I woke up later on feeling refreshed so I walk out of the room and my wanting to torture Wakka had gone so I left the door open for him if he wanted to get some shut eye. I walk into the shop area and see only Lulu, Shelinda and Maechen there.

I wonder outside and as soon as the sun hit my face, I was stunned.

"Whoa, check it out…" I say in dazzlement.

_That sun-set was different from the one I saw in Kilika. It was quite, almost… gentle._

I look over and see Auron standing my the door, Wakka sitting down watching a Chocobo, Kimahri, as always, watching Yuna and Yuna herself was watching the sun-set.

I walk over and see that her head it facing down a little.

_She dozed off?_

"What ya up to?" I say as I get closer. She lifts her head and turns to me and smiled and moved up a little to give me room. Then she fixes her eyes on the sun set once again.

I stretch, sit down and watch as the sun slowly starts to disappear beneath the water, making the ocean glow with the colours Red, Orange and Yellow.

_Similar the Zanarkand…_

"Pretty." Yuna says in a small voice.

"Sure is." I reply half paying attention to her and the sun set and half thinking of Zanarkand and it's sun rises.

She brings me out of my thoughts by continuing, "I wish I could live in a place like this. Peaceful, living with a smile on my face everyday."

_Not like you don't already._

"Well you can once you beat Sin right?" I say as I lean back onto my elbows.

She hesitates a little bit and then nods. "But a new Sin will be born anyway…"

"Well you can just beat it again!" I say trying to encourage her.

"I…wish I could." She say back to me.

"You can! Trust me, you are the best summoner out there!" I say spreading my arms for action.

She smiles a little at this and continues to watch the sun set. A few minuets pass between us as I desperately try to find something to say.

_No I cant say that… or that…NO! not _that_ or I'll be killed in my sleep if Lulu ever found out…. Ahh!_

"Yuna, why does Sin always come back?" I say in relief.

"Sin is…" She looks like she's trying to find the right word for it. "Sin is out punishment for our vanity, and it will not go away until we've atoned." She finishes.

"Well, how to we do that? What did we do that was SO bad in the first place? Was it using lotsa Machina or something? Wait, was that such a bad thing really?" I ask as many questions as I can to stop the conversation from ending.

She frowns at this though. "Its funny, ever since I was young I've never questioned it, and now that you ask if it is that bad or not," She shakes her head. "I don't know. There are so many things I don't know." She continues.

"Well then were the same." I say.

She looks at me questioningly.

_I know something that will cheer you up!_

"Aww, so much thinking is VERY unbecoming, of a summoner." Sound like Mika?" I say with a smirk.

My smirk gets bigger as I see this has worked. She gives out a laugh and says, "That's not very nice you know?" She laughs again and eventually she calms down.

Another silence and for some reason I say, "You know, during a game, you have to think of Blitz and nothing else you know?"

She frowns a little at this and says, "OK."

I continue, like my mouth and body had learned how to control themselves. "You cant thing, "That's a cute girl on the fifth seat from the right." And you cant be thinking about where your gunna go on that date, cause the minuet you do, that when you lose."

I feel like I can explain further so I add, "You see Yuna, what im trying to say is…" I pause, not wanting to say what I wanted now, so I quickly look for an alternative.

"You really shouldn't worry, you know? After you beat Sin, that's when you can worry about the future.

That when my inner voice said, "Well your quick on you feet aren't you Mr. Chicken?"

She looks at the floor and says, "I guess."

"But Yuna, how are you meant to beat something big like that?"

The fact that we may or may not be talking about my old man had left my mind completely.

"The Final Summoning. It's the only way to defeat Sin, the only way. With it we can call the Final Aeon, that's the goal of the pilgrimage." She explains further, forgetting I wasn't originally from Spira, not this one anyway.

"The Faith of the Final Summoning lies waiting in the far North to greet Summoners that complete their pilgrimage," She does the prayer. "At the world edge, in Zanarkand."

_Hmmm, wait what?_

"In Zanarkand?" I say desperately.

She bits her lip a little and again is finding the words to break the news to me slowly, but a voice from behind says it for her.

"She means the ruins of a city destroyed a thousand years ago." We turn and see Auron leaning on a broken pillar.

"You sure its ruins?" I ask Yuna, really I should of asked Auron since he completed a Pilgrimage once before.

"That's what I've heard." She replies.

"You'll see it for yourself soon enough. Yuna come back inside." He says and he goes but into the shop.

"You will go with us, to Zanarkand?" She asks as I was about to follow Auron inside. Everyone but Kimahri had gone inside which meant I would be greeted my a snoring Wakka, but the thought didn't really bother me.

"Yeah I'll go." I say in a hurt voice. "I'll go to Zanarkand, to see it with my own eyes." I say. Yuna looks a little sympathetic but a little happy about the fact I will be journeying with her. I look at the sun set one last time and wonder of towards the shop.

_I knew, it couldn't be MY Zanarkand, but I had to make sure._

I walk into the shop and Yuna follows closely behind. I walk into my room without saying a word and flop down onto my bed, not caring that I woke Wakka up. He throws a pillow at me and says, "Hey, mind if you keep it down bud?"

I throw it back to him, defiantly not in the mood and turn so that my back is facing him.

"Oh, OK, well, sleep tight, ya?" I hear another flop and a piercing feeling at the back of my head, feeling his eyes on me. As soon as the feeling disappears I close my eyes and quickly return to my not so peaceful slumber.

A.N: I know I said I would update Saturday or Sunday but I had a little bit of time to spare and need to know what you guys want. In the next Chapter I will be doing the battle with the Chocobo eater and want to know if you guys want me to lose and take the long way round, or beat it and take a Chocobo. Im good either way but I wanna know what you want, if you don't comment I'll choose by picking out of a hat or something.

Well hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you Saturday/Sunay! (Review and there will be cake )


	32. The Mi'ihen High Road Part 4

_**The Mi'ihen High Road Part 4**_

"Nice!" Shouts Carlso. "I knew you were good, but not THAT good, newbie!"

"Practice right?" I shout back.

_I had just gotten into the Zanarkand abes, but I was still as good as I am now._

"Yeah, alright." Carlso says back throwing the ball to me. I catch it and see Nicky there, she wasn't in the team before I joined she wasn't even living in Zanarkand, well this part of Zanarkand at least.

"Um, Hi?" I say waving my arms. Kairine joins her and they smile while looking up. The ball of water, Sin, had returned in the same manor it did the night of the match against The Duggles.

Then the scene changes entirely. Im back at the stadium, playing in the match against The Duggles, except im not in control. I swim out of the sphere pool and into the air. I slowly go upside down and the lights come flying at me. I fall and this time I don't grab onto the podium, I just fall, fall and fall. I go through the sphere pool and im alone in darkness.

A figure of a small child appears in the distance and I swim towards the kid. The kid just shakes their head and disappears.

* * *

I bolted up right into a sitting position on my bed. I put my hand to my head and felt the trickling of sweat running down my fingers. I observe my surrounding and come to a conclusion that it was a dream, no, a nightmare. The bed next to mine is empty so Wakka's up. Im still in the shop, still in Spira and still with my friends.

_All I need right now, it a nice, freezing cold shower._

I walk to the bathroom, take a shower, dry myself, dry my sweat filled clothes, dress and notice the bed needs some attention at well.

_Nah, I'll just leave it._

I walk down the hall and im just about to walk through to the main secretary but my nose stops me. I follow it and come to a large squarish room with people all around eating. I didn't realize how hungry I was till then so I half ran half walked to the plates and filled it with food. I found a place to sit on my own and ate my meal quietly.

After I had filled my stomach I walked into the secretary and saw nobody around only the receptionist and some random people. I go to walk outside and im barged back by a guy in a Yellow jacket and head gear.

_This seems familiar…_

The man looks at me and says, "Byntuh sa." He smiles but I reply, "Sorry?"

He squints his eyes and then opens them in realization. "Ah, forgive me Sir, I meant to say Pardon me, but it came out in Al Bhed."

"Oh, you're an Al Bhed?" I ask back.

He nods and smiles. "I am Rin, owner of this establishment. Hela du saad oui."

"Huh?" I ask.

"It means Nice to meet you." I replies back.

"Oh! Well uh, Hely do sad we to you to!" I say

_Um, no that's not right…_

"If you are interested, Al Bhed primers can be found all over Spira. Finding them and learning out language might be fun. Here let me give you one in commemoration of out meeting." He hands me a circle… thing and I already seem to know at least one of the letters.

"Although," He continues, "You might want to be careful where you speak out language."

"Yeah, I hear the Al Bhed aren't liked much. Oh, sorry." I rub my head guiltily and he sighs.

"Ed ec y crysa." He says and walks away before hearing from outside, "Someone help! The Chocobo's!"

Auron walks in and says, "That's our queue. Lets go!" He turns and walks back out.

Rin walks back up to me. "Thank you for your help. Here, use these." He holds out his hand and gives me 2 mega-potions.

"Thanks, I guess." I say and I run out.

The group is waiting and Lulu starts us off. "To the Chocobo coral!" And she heads off down the road with me and the rest of the gang following quickly behind. Some Chocobo's run straight part us and head to the coral, where the monster is supposedly meant to be. We hear a loud thud and turn to see the thing were meant to be fighting on the shop.

_Why did I have to open my big mouth!_

The monster had 2 legs, 2 massive arms one of them with a Chocobo in it, and in its mouth it had 2 tongues. It jump off the roof of the shop and I start to back away but am shoved towards the monster by Auron. We get into battle positions and begin to fight it.

Noticing we want to fight it, it lets the Chocobo go and turn to fight us.

Lulu takes this opportunity to train he Fira skills and she lets the monster a flame and casts a sly smile at Wakka. He swallows and continues to throw attacks at the monster. The monster at this point is on its back and Lulu shouts out, "Now! Hit it hard and push it back!"

We are now pushing it towards the edge of the cliff and it gets up again. Auron is now wanting to take part and performs a Power Break on the fiend, making its attack a little less hurtful. We continue this rutine and eventually we get the monster to the very edge of the cliff and we push it off. It reaches the bottem and explodes with pyerflies.

"Yeah!" Shout me and Wakka in usion.

We hear from behind us Rin. "Have you any interest in renting some Chocobo's? As a token of our gratitude, the first time is free of charge. Please ask the attendant if you wish to rent."

A woman runs up to us and says, "Thank you SO much for saving the Chocobo's!" She bows a little and heads towards the shop, standing next to some Chocobo's.

"Thank you for your help. Until we meet again." Rin bows and heads back into the shop.

The woman is grooming one of the Chocobo's when I ask the others, "Should be get some? I mean, they are free after all." Wakka of course is up for this idea, and surprisingly so is everyone else. We rent some Chocobo's and go flying down the path. Were going so fast that no fiends are even bothering to stop us. The only time I stopped was when I noticed an Al Bhed Primer.

After a while we get to the end of the road and I go to ride through some kind of entrance when im stopped by the guy that was with Lucil and Elma. "You'll have to leave your Chocobo's here. C'mon! Everyone off!" We do as were told and he takes the Chocobo's.

I go to walk through the entrance again back am told by the big carriage thing that Luzza and Gatta were transporting. Speaking of which:

"Gatta and Luzza reporting, Sir!" I hear Gatta say.

"This is the last of them." Stats Luzzu.

"Good to have you with us, go on through!" Says a third voice which I guessed was a guard.

There was a low growl from the carriage and I turn to see some kind of over grown cockroach.

"Show me how to play Blitz some time!" I hear Gatta saying. I turn and it seems he's talking to me.

"Wait around! We'll have Sin beaten in no time!" Luzza continues.

I nod my head and Luzza, Gatta and the carriage move till their out of sight.

We go to follow but were stopped by one of the guards. "Im sorry I cant let you pass. Hey, you're a summoner and her guardians right? Sorry for the inconvenience."

I shake my head and say, "Tell me about the operation."

The guard looks a little shocked. "What they didn't tell you?" I shake my head again. "Were bringing Sin Spawn from all over Spira here. Sin Spawn inevitably draws Sin right? Were going to lore it into a trap!" He finishes and we head back to try and find another way round. We head down a different path but run onto the guy from Luca, that…Maester?

_Yeah… what was his name? Maester… Seymour! That's his name!_

Seymour approaches us and Yuna instinct ably does the prayer as does he. "So we meet again Lady Yuna."

"Yes." Is all she can say. Seymour frowns a little. "You look troubled is there anything I can do?"

Yuna looks to the side a bit and then looks at the entrance. Seymour seems to understand and he walks towards the guard. The guard sees him and a conversation breaks out.

After a few minuets of talking Seymour cranes his neck to look over at us. After another minuet of talking, Seymour turns and looks over to us. "It is done." He says and he walk out of sight.

Yuna bows in appreciation and stays in that position until Lulu says, "Yuna, its time to go."

Yuna just gets up and says, "Right." Yuna, Lulu, Kimahri and Auron head down the path while im enraged. "Who does he think he is!" I say while scrunching my fists.

"A Maester. Better get used to it, ya?" He says, putting a hard on my shoulder. He walks down the path towards the others who were waiting for us and I follow slowly behind.

AN: YAY! Finally finished the Mi'ihen chapters! Even though I love this game with ALL my heart, there are some parts which makes me wanna throw my PS2 out the window... the Mi'ihen High road and the Blitz Tourny is only but 2 of them.  
Sorry I havent been updating, if you read "Hello Readers!" you would understand why. But that is now aside. Summer has arrived, so I will be updating a lot more frequantly (Not sure if i spelt that right) so get ready and keep your eyes peeled for more chapters! R&R please!


	33. Luzzu's confession

_**Luzzu's Confession**_

In the distance I can hear some guy shouting, "All hail, Maester Seymour!"

Everyone does a kind of bow and Seymour gives a speech.

"Brave Crusaders of Spira, Protectors of all Spira! Believe in the path you have chosen!"

He takes a little brake and continues. "Let Faith be your strength! I Seymour Guado, Maester of Yevon, will bear witness to you deeds today!"

The Crusaders reply with a "Sir!"

After though, Wakka seems annoyed and… well to tell the truth, angry.

"What goin' on? Why's Maester Seymour backin' the Crusaders, eh? They're using Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the Teachings!" He trails off a little bit and Yuna answers him.

"Even going against the Teachings, They're willing to risk it for the greater good." She hesitates a bit before continuing. "Wakka, I think Maester Seymour see's that too."

Wakka is shocked at this and looks at someone for support. He looks at me and I shake my head. He then looks at Lulu.

"Lulu?" He says, nearly begging her to back him up, but she only says, "I can only speculate." I look at Wakka and find the face he's making funny.

_Surely he didn't actually believe she would back him? I mean, what would she have against the Al Bhed?_

I can see Seymour walking towards us and so does Auron because he says to Wakka, "Ask him yourself."

Wakka turns and goes a little red while Seymour approaches us. Seymour goes past Wakka but stops at Auron. "Ah, Sir Auron. It is an honour. I would be most interested to hear what you have been doing these past 10 years."

Auron looks at Seymour, a little, what's the word… disgusted, and walks of saying, "I've got nothing to say about it."

_Whoa! The only time he looks at people like THAT are if he really hates them. What Auron got against this guy?_

"I see." Says a confused Maester. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian." He directs this at Yuna, of course.

She replies with a bow and a, "Your Grace!"

Seymour says back to her, "Please there's no need for formalities."

Now its Wakka's turn. "Excuse me… Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship…presently… present here… Sir?" He stumbles and goes even redder.

Me and my inner mind are having a great laugh over this.

Seymour ignores this and says, Please, speak as you normally would."

Wakka looks a little eased by this and continues. "Isn't this Operation against the Teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gunna stop them?"

Seymour just nods and says, "It's true, I should." Wakka nods and grunts in agreement.

"However, both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly with peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they shared. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intention are pure." Wakka's face is just getting more frowned by the second.

"And I Seymour Guado; the person, not the Maester of Spira, as a denizen of Spira, I wish with them well in their endeavour."

Wakka only shakes his head, "But… using Machina, that's bad isn't is?"

"Then pretend you didn't see them." Replies Seymour.

Through out the party, even Kimahri and Auron, gasped at this sentence.

"Beg you Pardon, but that's not something a Maester should say!" Wakka half shouts.

"Then pretend I didn't say it." And he walks away leaving everyone bewildered.

_For the first time I laid eyes on him, I never did like Seymour. But you know, some of the thing he said that day, made a lot of sense to me._

"Come. Its best were not here when this Operation takes place." Auron says and he starts to walk away from us and down the road. We catch up to him quickly but are once again stopped by the guy who took our Chocobo's earlier.

"Excuse me, Lady Summoner Yuna?" He asks.

"Yes?" She replies.

"The command centre… Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am."

Yuna looked a little troubled but says back to him, "Thank you."

Auron on the other hand sighs a bit and I laugh quietly.

But the guy just continues. "Take that road to the command centre, its not far. Were still in the midst of preparations this way, sorry." He point to a road leading to the left and he heads down to patrol the area where we were meant to be going. We go down the left and I see a familiar face.

"Good day lad! Sneaked past the guards I did. Welcome to Oaka's!" Says Oaka's the XXIII. I buy some Potions and Phoenix downs and give him the Gil. "Be makin' a fortune with these Operation Mi'ihen prices. But you lad, you get a discount!"

_Yeah, bet you say that to all your customers huh?_ I nod and continue to the command centre.

We had to go through tons and tons of fiends to get to the main lift and in the process, one of the fiends dropped a nice weapon for me! We also ran into Shelinda on the way as well. "In the end I wasn't able to stop them, as you can see. But seeing their fierce determination, I couldn't just sit there. So I decided to everything in my power, to help them."

_I can see why everyone ignored her._

We are just about to get on the lift and go up when I see Gatta and Luzzu in the background.

"Hey, lets go wish them good luck!" I say to the group who agreed.

We walk over to them to find they were having a argument.

"Why only you Sir? I wanna fight too!" Shout Gatta.

"Orders are orders." Luzzu stats firmly.

Gatta only shakes his head fiercely. "Im not a cadet anymore Sir! Let me go with you and I'll prove it to them!"

Luzzu only puts a hand on his shoulder. "Guarding the command centre is important too you know."

"Bit I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, Sir!" Gatta's voice kept getting louder.

"I know, but an order's an order. To you post Crusader." Luzzu says and does a sign to dismiss him.

Gatta on the other hand continues to protest. "But, Sir!" Gatta looks at the ground and Luzza folds his arms over his chest. Gatta runs from him and runs to the lift, not even noticing that we were there.

After the lift went up fully and came down with no Gatta, I approach Luzzu. He hears me and begins the conversation. "They let you through, huh?"

I nod and reply, "Gatta… diserves better." Wakka from behind me adds a plus. "At least there's no chance he'll get hurt." He approaches Luzzu and ask a question that was defiantly bothering him. "Why are you guys fighting anyway? Aren't the almighty Al Bhed Machina enough?" Wakka turns his back to Luzzu.

"They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at bay till their done." Luzzu replies smirking, obviously wanting to see Wakka's reaction to this.

Wakka turns and waves his arms around like a maniac grunting in his mouth.

Luzzu's smirk turns into a sad smile as he says, "Wakka. I might not get another chance to say this, its about your brother."

Lulu apparently knows what he's gunna say because she hastily says, "Luzzu, no!"

Wakka looks at her and then at Luzzu. "What?"

Luzzu was looking at the floor and then he looks straight at Wakka. "Im the one who convinced him… to enlist." Luzzu holds his gaze with Wakka and I realize that I am holding my breath.

Lulu sighs a bit and Luzzu looks at the floor. "Im sorry."

Wakka takes a few seconds to take it in and then walks towards Luzzu and throws a successful punch at his jaw. Luzzu stumbles to the floor, not bothering to defend himself while Wakka goes to kick him in. Before that can happen though, I grab Wakka and pull him back while shouting, "Wakka! That's enough Wakka!" He's still struggling and eventually he calms down.

"When we used to play Blitz together, Chappu used to say, he'd say that when we won the cup, he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day, he goes of and becomes a Crusader, just like that."

Luzzu is still on the ground, spitting out blood when he says back, "Chappu also told me that being with you girl is good, but keeping Sin far away from her is better."

Lulu looked as if she was going to cry. There were no tears or anything but she was… I cant find the words to describe it. "Lu, You knew?" Wakka asks her.

She nods. "Luzzu told me, before we left."

We hear a laugh from Luzzu and he continues. "She hit me too."

We hear an announcement from Lucil and her Chocobo. "All Crusader on the vanguard are to assemble on the beach." She left to find more Crusaders.

"That's my cue." Say Luzzu. He begins to walk away but Wakka stops him. "Luzzu, don't die out there."

Luzzu chuckles at this. "So you can hit me more?"

"Lots, lots more!" He replies.

Yuna however is not finished. As Luzzu turns to go, Yuna stands in front of him, not willing to let him go. "Sir Luzzu please! Please don't go!"

"I have to Yuna." He says lowly and Auron back him up. "Let him go. The man has already chosen his path, as you did when you became a Summoner." Yuna's eyes widen a little, but in the end she stepped to the side and let Luzzu walk on.

_It would be a long time, before I really understood the reason why Yuna let Luzzu pass that day._


	34. Maester Wen Kinoc

_**Maester Kinoc**_

Luzzu went up the lift and out of sight. The lift comes back down and we head of towards it, leaving Wakka for a minuet or 2 to gather his thoughts. We went onto the lift and waited for Wakka. 5 minuets later he comes back to us as if nothing had happened.

"What are ya waitin for? Get this thing movin ya!" Then on cue, the lift went up and we got off. We headed towards the command centre in silence and then Wakka see's dozens of Al Bhed Machina lined up in a row, facing towards some beach. Wakka goes up to one of them, looks at it for a while and kicks it. Shortly after kicking it though followed an, "OW!" and a Wakka jumping on 1 leg.

"He really hates them huh?" I ask Lulu who was previously walking quietly beside me.

"Chappu…" Is all she said within 10 seconds.

_Ah right._

When I though that's all she would say, she continued with, "He left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid and went to fight with an Al Bhed Machina weapon instead."

Wakka heard our conversation and shouted, "That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!"

After a while Wakka walks away and mutters to himself, "This place is getting to me…"

At the point where we were, we could hardly see anything only a few Machina weapons. We headed towards the edge of the cliff and looked down at the beach. People were everywhere preparing for the trap, people were also preparing Chocobo's and of course, Machina.

Something lets out a terrifying scream and we turn out heads towards the command centre, where the Crusaders where forcing the Sin Spawn into this massive cage. I guessed that it was full of all kind of Spawn since the rumbling in the earth was getting fierce.

"It wont work anyway!" Shouts Wakka.

"Don't say that." Says Yuna in a gentle voice. "It might be hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon, But the Crusaders and the Al Bhed, they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Sin of Spira forever, and that's just what we want to isn't it?" She turns to Wakka. "Isn't it?"

Wakka puts his hands up in defeat and say, "All right, all right! But I still think Machina are bad news! They're forbidden for a reason!" He seemed to stress at the word "Forbidden."

There's a voice for behind us. "Lady Summoner, there you are! The command centre is that way, Maester Kinoc is also there." We turn and see Lucil point in a north direction."

We follow her directions and we run into Gatta standing giving people directions. When he see's us he does the same. "The operation will begin shortly. Please check all you epuipment…" Wakka cuts him.

"You all right?" He asks

_Does he look all right to you?_

"Of course not! I came here to fight Sin, but they stick me here!" He grunts in frustration and Auron says from behind me, "If you want to prove yourself, first you must complete the tasks you are given." He explains. Gatta lets his head hang and when we start to head out again, Gatta stops me.

"Just doing what they say? It just wont be enough. What do you think I should do?" He asks me.

_Great…_

"You know, guarding the command centre is important too." I say trying to calm him down.

"You'd think the same if you were me." He snaps and he walks off.

_Well duh! Of course I would if I was you!_

We continue to walk until we reach some kind of resting area. There are a few chair and in one of them is a man in a yellow robe. He see's us (Auron) and gets up. "Ohhh." He goes up to Auron and gives him a… hug…

_Ohhhh, your asking for a death wish there buddy!_

"I'd heard from Seymour but I didn't know if we'd actually meet." The man says.

I begin to chuckle and Auron shots me a look that says "One word from you and you WILL regret it." I hold up my hands and say nothing.

"Good to see you Auron. 10 Years is it?" The man asks Auron.

Lulu see's my confused face and as always, my information angel (or devil) comes to my rescue.

"That's Wen Kinoc, one of the 4 Maesters of Yevon. He leads the warrior monks and also command the Crusaders."

Then we hear foot step and Gatta's voice. "All troops ready to move at your command Sir!"

"Good, dismissed." Kinoc sends him away.

"Sir!" Gatta turns and walks away.

"Tell me Auron, Where have you been for the last 10 years?" Kinoc asks.

"We don't have time for this now, do we? Auron replies.

"This plan wont work you know that. We'll just let them dream a little longer." Says Kinoc in an… harsh tone.

"What?" I blurt out.

"Lord Kinoc," Says the annoying voice of Seymour.

"Oh yes, Proceed." Kinoc walks away a little not enough out of ear shot though.

"That Kinoc, a Maester?" Says Auron.

Kinoc's ears catch is and he turns back to us. "I heard that Auron. A lot has changed the past 10 years. What were you doing, and where?"

This time Auron answers. "Fulfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am." He says this and then goes to walk away but Kinoc stops him.

"Just tell me one thing: have you seen Zanarkand?" He asks.

Auron ignores this and walks on.

Yuna seemed a little… fidgety. She turns to me and says, "I kinda think we don't belong here."

I nod. I know what she meant. I had that feeling to. It's when you can visualize the outcome in your head and it makes sense. It send shivers up and down your spine.

_Well, to late to turn back._

"It is time at last. We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once." Says a guard. Yuna has an extremely worried look on her face so I put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Smile, remember?" I say giving her shoulder a small squeeze.

She nods a little bit and displays a small smile.

The guard continues but this part is directed at us. "The fiend may break through, this place is not safe. Make sure your prepared to defend yourselves, tell me when your ready." We nod and my stomach starts to growl.

_Well… cant fight on an empty stomach._

I walk around trying to find anyone who sells any type of food. Then I see him.

_How does he keep doing that! How does he keep getting to places before us when were miles ahead of him?_

I walk to him and he starts off with the most random thing you could come up with. "Monopoly's a great thing, things are selling no matter what the price! Oh, sorry I forgot."

"Listen have you got any food?" I ask Oaka.

He replies no but, "Hey listen lad, there an apple tree just round the corner. They're nice big juicy apples. Stuff ya face with em, eh?"

I give him 100 gil and run to the tree. He was right! The tree was loaded with juicy red rich apples. I gathered as many as I could and ran to the rest. The apples were gone and now nothing was stopping us.

"Well, lets go." I go over to the guard and he see's me before I can say anything.

"Are you ready?" He asks in an eager tone. I nod while confirming this.


	35. Operation Mi'ihen

_**Operation Mi'ihen**_

The guard turns to Kinoc and says, "Maester Kinoc, please."

Kinoc turn and looks down at all the Crusaders and Al Bhed.

"Will Sin come?" Yuna asks.

"Sin always returns for its Spawn. "The guard explains. "To make sure, were going to encourage them to call out to it."

Auron from behind adds, "You wont have to. Its come."

_I remembered Auron telling me: Sin is my old man, Sin is Jecht._

"Begin!" Shout Kinoc. With that command the Crusader as always, shout "Sir!" In return. One of them pressed a switch on the cage with all the Sin Spawn in and a blue flare engulfs the cage; the Sin Spawn were being electrocuted. Me and the group just watching in horror as the flame began to spread to the inside of the cage.

The screams started and were almost to much for me to handle. I cover my ears with my hands but it didn't seem to do any good. Soon after though, the screaming stopped and the cage door flew open. We looked inside the cage to no Spawn in sight. There was a loud thud and behind us was the biggest Sin Spawn I had seen so far. It had loads of small legs holding it up, two hands/claws for swiping at us, another two hands for blocking with, where the two claws were meant to be blocking was a huge hold with I guessed was the mouth, a long neck and at the top was of course the head.

It didn't take long at all to take it down, after Lulu starting casting her more powerful spells it went down in a flash. As I was about to deliver the final blow, I noticed that the sea around the beach was gradually getting darker. Not because the sun was setting but because something was swimming underneath. Waves started to crash and the Chocobo's began to run while the small monsters from Zanarkand began to attack.

Sin had now fully come out on the water and the Al Bhed were firing their Machina, delivering what looked like small blows. Then Sin began to form and purple/blueish ball around itself, which I though at the time was a shield but turned out to be an attack.

"Look out!" Shouts Auron and footsteps running away from the edge of the cliff were followed after that. Sin let the shield go and it came thundering towards the beach and the cliff. I didn't move fast enough and was still on the cliff when it collapsed. i remember falling and then everything was blank.

I slowly start to regain consciousness and the first thing I notice it the amount of pyerflies gathered around me. I look up to see bodies… dead bodies of people who took part in the operation. I struggle to my feet and look for the group… nowhere in sight. I begin to move slowly and I start to hear sobs. I look round and I only see the dead, looking up at me and the sky.

Then I see the source of the cries. Gatta is sat there no more then 10 feet away from me curled up in a ball, looking terrifyingly at the death around him. I walk up to him and he just says, "What's going on? Why? What…" I try to calm him down and then he lets out the most loudest scream I've heard up to this point in my life. "WHAT'S GOING ON!"

I look down at the floor and hear new waves crashing. I turn and see Sin turn and swim away. Im so enraged at this point that im shaking. "Don't you run away from me!"

My body seemed to have a will of its own when I ran after Sin, jump in the water and begin to swim as fast as I can towards it. I just kept swimming and swimming, after a monster who I knew was long gone by know.

_I have no idea what I was thinking when I ran after Sin that day. But before I knew what I was doing, there I was chasing him down like a thief at market. Maybe I was angry. Maybe I wanted to go home. I kept thinking of Zanarkand, and my old man._

After a long swim, I started to calm down and went up to the surface to find I hadn't gone anywhere. I let myself float back to the beach while I slowly drifted back to my slumber.

Im not sure where I was. There was some kind of crystallized tree, a couple of pathways and people from my Zanarkand and the Crusaders. They were running around, some of them walking. They were see through and faint I could hardly see them. I saw people I recognized like Luzzu and the guard that talked to us earlier.

Then a new figure comes into my vision. Unlike the rest, this kid was solid. I couldn't see through him, and unlike the rest he waling right towards me, like he could see when the other just ran around or through me. This kid stops in front of me and I recognize him.

It the kid from Zanarkand and some of my other dreams. Of all of them, this kid is always in them. I could a strange connection with this kid.

Then he shook his head stepped out of the way of a spinning Blitzball, and let the ball come straight to my face. The ball goes and im back in Zanarkand at my old boat house. I was watching/listening to a conversation between the 7 year old me and my old man. The conversation was still fresh in my mind even when I watched it.

"What?" Says a drunk Jecht. I could tell he was drunk because he slurred at his words.

"They say you don't practise anymore, that your gunna retire." Says the younger me.

"Let them talk. Im still the best!" He says, as big headed as always.

"They say you no good because you drink all the time."

"I can quit drinking whenever I want!"

"Then do it now!" Shout the smaller me.

"What did you say?" Jecht shouts back.

"You just said you can!"

"Tomorrow, maybe."

"Why not today?"

If I had been able to I would have stopped me from saying that, one of his most… annoying saying which I knew was about to come up.

"Why do today which you can leave for tomorrow." Says Jecht, taking another drink of his beer.

I can hear the small sobs coming from the boy and a, "There he goes again! Crying!"

_I thought I sensed my old man there. Somewhere, maybe. Or maybe it was just Sin toxin playing tricks on my mind._

I wake up again and find my self on a dead body free beach, but the pyerflies were still there.

_How many died today?_

I look round and see that the pyerflies are beginning to go away out to the sea. The same it did when Yuna performed the sending. I crane my neck and see Yuna dancing.

_People die and Yuna dances. When will she stop dancing? When will it stop?_

_Yuna wont stop dancing, not until Sin is gone. Those were my thoughts then, I think._

"I see your still here." Says a voice. I don't even have to look to know Auron is only 4 feet away from me. "Many stories ended here today, But yours goes on I see." He begins to walk away, but now before he answers my questions.

"What?" I ask. Then I realize something.

_Sin had come and gone, but I remained here._

I try and catch up to Auron to he would talk but he was already in the midst of a conversation with Kinoc. "A swift retreat. Satisfied?"

"What do you mean?" Asks Kinoc.

_Don't play dumb._

"Those who turned from Yevon died, while the faithful live on."

"The past 10 years have changed you I see."

Auron and Kinoc leave in different directions and I see Seymour walk up to Yuna while I walk up to Auron.

_He's not getting away from me this time._

"Sin is Jecht." He says simply.

"Yeah, for a while there I thought I could feel him. But that doesn't mean I believe you."

"Sin is Jecht." H repeats. "He came here for you."

"So he killed all those people just for a chance to see me?" I was once again enraged.

"That's what Sin does, he wanted to show that to you. Do you know why?"

I turn away from him and put my hands on my head. "How am I supposed to know?"

"So you could kill him. As long as he is Sin, Jecht will keep killing. He wants you to stop him."

"You gotta be kidding. How do you know all of this anyway?"

He chuckles at this and begins to walk away.

"Im not done talking to you, don't you run away!"

"You're the one running." He says quietly and just walks to the rest of the group.

I walk up the slope and head towards them. At the sound of feet, Yuna's head snaps up and when she see's me she smiles and lets out a sigh of relief.

_Don't worry in not dead. But sometimes I wish I was._

"We off?" I ask, trying to act as if nothing happened.

They nod and we leave, though leaving the place behind us is a whole different thing.


	36. The Djose Highroad and the Djose Temple

_**The Djose Highroad and Temple.**_

We walk down the road for a further 30 minuets. Auron, Lulu and Wakka in front, Yuna behind them and me and Kimahri are walking side by side, surprisingly. We stay behind the rest of the group, not saying anything until we hear Yuna's cheery voice shout to us,

"Hey you two, hurry up!"

_Whoa…_

"She's awfully cheerful." I say putting my hands on my head.

Kimahri walks in front of me and turns. "In dark times she must be. She must shine bright."

_Whohoho! He can talk!_

"Now are dark times. Yuna tries hard. If we worry she tries harder, do not frown." He turns and heads down the path the catch up with the others. Before he gets half way to them I run up to him. "Don't worry be happy?"

He turns and walks back to me. "Kimahri try too."

"Smile, lemme see."

He frowns at me and then lifts his lips into some sort of smile. It looked more like he was bearing his teeth to eat me.

I struggle to contain some of my laughter and I giggle a bit. He doesn't look hurt or anything but he does say, "Tidus try too."

It wasn't a request, it was a statement. Me laughing, obviously, making me smile.

He turns and catches up to the rest.

I catch up and we walk silently down the path. A little way down the path, a single Chocobo came running past us. The rider I recognised to be Captain Lucil. Two people ran behind her; Elma and the guy who was with them. I hear Elma shout to the slacking man, "C'mon Clasko! Keep up!"

_Ah, so that his name._

After an hour or so walking we come to a turning point and some things been bugging me since me and Yuna had that conversation on the High Road.

"Hey how much longer till Zanarkand?" I ask.

"Still a ways." Say Wakka, but as always, I rely on Lulu for explainations.

"First down the Moonflow, to the Guado city of Guadosalam. Then we cross the Thunder Plains to the temple in Macalania."

"Oh boy, cant wait!" I say sarcastically.

"And before that, we get to pray at the temple in Djose!" Says Yuna, merrily.

"We cant just skip all that, can we?" I ask dumbly.

She shakes her head. "I have to pray to the Faith in every temple, in order to earn the Final Aeon."

"That's a Summoners training. She's gotta prepare mind and body, all just to get ready for the Final Summoning." Say Wakka from behind.

"Must me tough Yuna." I say. When it leaves my mouth I can it was more sympathetic then I intended.

She giggles and blushes a little. "I'll be fine, with_ you_ here."

I blush al well and see that after Yuna's comment, Lulu and Wakka gave each other serious looks.

I ignore this and go with the rest of the group. Auron was behind me and he stops. "Hey, new guy."

"What can I do for ya, boss?" I say mockingly.

"Don't tell Yuna you know about Sin and Jecht. You know her. She would distance herself from you. We do not want that." He says.

"I see. Your right but even if I did say something, no one would believe me." I say looking at the floor.

"Yuna would." He states and I see that that's the truth.

"You have a point. Come to think of it, did I really have to know about Jecht? What about my feelings?"

"Better then you finding out at a critical moment, becoming emotional."

"What? Me? Emotional?" I say

He turn and walks away laughing to himself. "I heard you where quite the cry baby." With that he disappears round the corner.

_Yeah maybe when I was a kid. Maybe even a little now, just a little._

I catch up to him and say, "I still don't buy your story you hear?"

He shrugs and we continue walking in silence until I feel a violent rumble in the earth.

We walk for a little bit and see Lucil, Elma and Clasko resting.

"Lady Yuna, it is good to see you and your companions are well." Says Lucil

"Yourselves as well captain. We were worries. Praise be to Yevon." Yuna says back as she prays.

Lucil replies gravely, "We escaped with our lives, but our troops were decimated."

Elma adds on, "Out of all out Chocobo's, only this one made it."

"We make pretty poor Chocobo mounted forces without any… Chocobo's" Clasko says.

"We turned out backs on the Teachings and cast away our Faith. This is our just reward." Lucil says, shaking her head and walking away, ashamed to let anyone see her depressed.

We continue to walk and see and huge rock in the shape of a building start to rumble while Yuna prays. Then something occurs to be.

"Is that the Djose temple?" I ask and Wakka nods his head in reply.

I take a few steps toward it and a blue light strikes the boulder, causing it to break into many pieces and… levitate around the entrance of the temple.

"Awesome!" I say in astonishment.

Lulu, as always, offers me her words of wisdom. "The lightning mushroom rock. It only open when a Summoner is addressing the Faith."

"That means another Summoners already in there." Says Wakka helpfully.

"Another Summoner?" Says Yuna

"What if its Dona?" I ask

Yuna considers this for a moment. "We have to hurry."

"Right, in we go!" I say and we run into the temple.

We go inside see the same statues we saw in the two previous temples. By the stair's that went into the Trails stood Braska. As always.

The doors to the Trails opened and out came 3 people. The man in front, who I guessed right was the Summoner, was dressed in a blue robe. The man behind him was dressed similarly and the boy was also dressed nearly the same.

The man in front stopped in front of Yuna and says, " I beg your pardon but may I ask you name?"

"I am the Summoner Yuna from the Isle of Besaid." She gives bow

"As I thought!" Says the man. "The Daughter of Lord Braska. You have the look of your Father."

"My Father, you knew him?" Yuna asks.

"No. I have never meet the man."

_Ok… I know the statues give of detail but still…_

"Ah, my apologies. I am Isaaru." He bows. "I am a Summoner, like you."

The boy behind them jumps upp and down. "Im Pacce. Pleased to meet you!"

"And im Maroda. Im guarding my big brother here." Says the man behind Isaaru.

"Since I was a child, I always looked up to Lord Braska. I wished I would someday become the High Summoner like he was. You must have some of your Fathers talent in you. I believe you might someday defeat Sin." Says Isaaru.

Yuna blushes a little at this as I try my hardest to keep quite as a wave of jealousy surges through me. Im scrunching my fists until my knuckles are white.

"Im not really, I've only just become a Summoner." Says Yuna

"Of course I have no intention of losing either." Isaaru says, ignoring her previous statement.

"Maybe we should race, to see who can defeat Sin first, no?" He adds on.

Yuna smiles a little, making yet another wave of jealousy rushing through me, causing me to nearly break my knuckles.

"Very well then, I accept your challenge." Answers Yuna giving a bow.

"Yuna, I beg your leave. Good luck to both of us." He prays and starts towards the door.

Yuna then heads up into the Trials with the rest. Im about to follow when im stopped by Isaaru.

"Hey you. You are Yuna guardian no?"

_Whats it to you? _

I nod and he continues, "Maroda's heard a curious rumour. I though you should know."

"I heard it from those Crusaders. Seems that Summoners have been going out on Pilgrimage and just disappearing." Maroda says.

"It could just be the fiends got them, but not so many so quickly." Isaaru points out.

"Sorry I don't know more but watch you back. Aint much future for a guardian without a Summoner eh?" Maroda jokes.

Then I notice the pouncing boy coming from behind. "What? Whatcha all talking about?"

"Were talking about doing your job as a guardian." Maroda says rather quickly.

"Hey, im doing good, right big brother?" I faces Isaaru and he smiles at Pacce, nodding his head.

"Please be careful." Isaaru says to me.

"Will do!" I try to sound as positive as possible.

Isaaru and Maroda turn to leave while the boy looks up at me. Isaaru notices his smaller brother not being with them and shout, "Pacce!"

"What?"

"Were leaving!"

"Be right there." Pacce runs to his two brothers. "See ya!" He shout back at me and I waves, watch them leave and run up the stairs to my waiting friends.


	37. The Djose Temple

_**The Djose Temple.**_

Wakka see's me first and gets up. "Alright, guardians at attention!"

"We are ready." Yuna says and Wakka replies, "Lets do it!"

It took a lot longer to do these Trials, mainly because we didn't even think that one of the Pedestals could hold 2 Spheres.

We reach the end of the Trials and Yuna walks into the Chamber of Faith, the door closes behind and Kimahri stands guard next to it. Then everyone just picks a spot, sits or stands there and waits. This is something I couldn't do in centuries so I start walking around, first observing the room then just pacing.

Auron is the first to talk when he shout, "Stop pacing around, be calm and wait."

"Well well. You again. Still travelling with quite the crowd I see." Says the irritating voice of Dona. Barthello is behind he not saying a word, until he see's Auron.

He walks up to Auron and Dona asks, "What is it Barthello? You know this riff-raff?"

_Whoa, she obviously doesn't know who he is._

"You are… Auron, no?" Barthello ask, rather hesitantly.

Auron shrugs. "What of it?"

Barthello now has a huge smile on his face and asks hesitantly again, "Can…I shake you…hand?"

Auron frowns at him and then Barthello explain. "Auron, no, Sir Auron! You're the reason I became a Guardian!" Auron chuckles a little at this and extends his hand.

Barthello takes and shakes it for a few moments and eventually lets go.  
"Thank you sir, This means so much to me!"

Now its time for Wakka to express his disgust. "Calling the personal guardian to Lord Braska riff-raff?"

"And you call yourself a Summoner?" Lulu adds.

_Wow, better stay out of this one bud. _Says my inner voice. _You get involved in this one and your sure to be in big trouble._

I nod and leave them to glare at each other. Eventually Dona snaps at Barthello.  
"Barthello enough! Get back here." Barthello does what he's told and says to Dona, "I am never washing this hand again!" To which Dona replies, "Please, touch me with that hand and I'll remove it!"

"Hang in there buddy, eh?" I says jokingly to Barthello.

A couple of Hours passed and the door to the Chamber open and Yuna comes out. She takes a few steps and collapses in exhaustion. Kimahri hastily rushes to her side.

Dona looks at her patheticly and says, "You owe MUCH to you Father! All these guardians, and Sir Auron too? And I hear Maester Seymour's quite taken with you."

Yet ANOTHER wave of jealousy and forcing my rage down was required.

_Why does this keep happening? I'd only be doing this if I, ya know, like liked her._

_Well, she it kinda, no, she is really beautiful and…_

Im brought back to reality by Dona. "The world must look different when you're the Daughter of Lord Braska."

_Great, now she's trying to make her look like a spoiled brat. Why I outta…_

"This has nothing to do with my Father! Im travelling on my own as a full fledged Summoner!" Yuna says quickly.

"Oh, is that so? Then why don't you try standing on your own two legs for once. Your guardians wont be able to protect you when the time comes." Dona snaps as she walks into the Chamber.

Yuna is a whole new shade of Crimson as she walks out, not saying anything to any one.

We follow her out and when we get to the main hall she finally talks. "Im a little tired."

One of the monks hears her say this and quickly comes to her assistance. "There is always room in the temple for Summoners, my lady." He bows and leads her into a room somewhere.

Wakka and Lulu shake their heads and go on outside along with Kimahri. I look in the general direction of the room Yuna and the monk went into and Auron says quietly, "You should go talk to her. Im sure she'd open up to you." And walks outside with the rest.

I consider this and begin to slowly walk towards the room. The monk comes out and Im instantly on him. "Is Yuna alright? Is she awake? Can I see her?"

The monk says yes and I walk in to see Yuna lying on one of the beds looking up at the ceiling, thinking.

"Hey, are you alright?" I say and she jumps. She see's me, smiles and nods slightly.

"Really? You know, you're a bad liar." I walk over and sit on the edge of the bed.

"C'mon, what's bothering you?"

She looks around the room and mutters a single word, "Dona…"

"When you beat Sin, you'll show her. Don't listen to a word she says, if it hurts." I say grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face me. "She's trying to make you feel that way, so she can beat Sin and take all the glory. Your giving her that satisfactory Yuna, is that what you really want?"

She shakes her head slowly and I can see she's on the verge of tears. She jumps a little when I put one arm around her shoulder and one arm around her waist and pull her into an embrace. She's stunned for a few moments and does the same. She puts both her arm around my waist and returns the embrace. She silently sobs on my shoulder and I rub her back until she stops.

_Wow. Although this feels a little wrong, (mainly because of Wakka's instruction not to fall for her, but in which case I had already done) but one the other hand it feels totally right._

After she stops sobbing she pulls away from the embrace, grabs my hand and heads outside.

"What, wait Yuna what are we…" I manage to say before she lets and turns.

"Your right im not going to give Dona that satisfactory. If I stay in bed when people need me right now, that was she's going to get." She says confidently.

"Right on! So eh, what are you gunna do?"

"Perform Sendings until the people that died earlier are on the Farplane."

_Wow, looks like me helping was… not helping._

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask to which she nods and starts to dance.

Wakka and Lulu have their mouths open and they walk to me. "Im guessing she's okay now then huh?" Says Wakka

I nod and just watch her dance. The way she was swaying and the way the Pyerflies were gathering around her and shooting of towards the Farplane, I don't know what it was but my hands started to get sweaty and my heart was most probably going at 1000 beats a minuet. I don't know how long I was sat there watching her, but the sun had gone from being in the sky, to disappearing and being replaces by the moon.

She finally stopped dancing and began to make her way to me. When she reached me she sat down and just thought. Eventually I give a suggestion to go back to the temple as she yawns away. I get up and walk towards her to the temple. Sometime when Yuna was performing the Sendings, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri and Auron had left us.

After a while of walking we see the temple. The rest of the group are again nowhere in sight but I got the feeling they went to bed as I hear the unforgettable sound of Wakka's snoring inside one of Rin's agency shops.

"Your not going to get much sleep tonight." Says Yuna playfully, followed by another yawn.

I grunt in agreement. "Well, at least your gunna sleep. Good night."

She nods and says the same. I do not go into the shop however, I stay outside and watch her go into the temple and stare at the building 30 minuets after that.

Eventually my eye lids start to feel like anchors and I wonder into the shop. The woman looks at me and says, "Tidus?"

Im a little shocked as I have never in my life seen this woman before.

_Maybe I knew her before I got the "**Toxin**"_

"Yes." I say back and she hands me a key. "You sleeping with the guy with Orange hair." She says to me smiling.

_Oh boy…_

When I get to the room I force myself to open the door and before I even look at the bed, I see the mountains or food on the table. I dive for the food, not realizing how hungry I was and start to dig in.

About half way through I hear a voice in the distance say, "Well, at least I know it would be cheaper to feed a dog then you."

I strain my eyes and see Wakka lying on the bed. "Hungry eh?"

I nod my head and he starts laughing his ass of. "What?" I say with a mouth full of food.

He brings his hands up and puts them to his cheeks, making them round. I still don't understand so he gets up and puts his hands to my cheeks and pushes, making all the food come out of my mouth in a sort or rainbow colour.

We both laugh at this and after my stomach was full I washed and jump into bed, not wanting to go into a slumber. Thoughts of Yuna just danced around in my mind until I give in and slowly drift of with a smile on my face.

AN: Sorry if this Chapter was a bit fluffy. I wanna build up the _feelings _and _emotions_ for the famous Macalania Lake scene. I know it seems like a long way off but it will come speeding down the corner before we know it. In the next Chapter there's gunna be a bit of a fluffy dream sequence just to warn you. Hope you guys are enjoying!


	38. The Djose Temple and the Moonflow

_**The Djose Highroad and Temple.**_

I wake up to a slight fumbling at my hair; someone was playing with it. The hand that was playing with my hair slowly stops and slowly makes it was towards my face. I can feel my face turning red and someone whispers in my ear, "I know you awake."

That voice was without a doubt Yuna's. I slightly open my eyes and then open them fully. I see Yuna straight above me, smiling down on me.

"I thought you'd never give in." She says, lying down so her head is on my shoulder and she's kissing my cheek, neck and ear. Her hand has stopped playing with my hair and is now comfortably resting on my fully exposed chest.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." I say softly.

Then she stops straddles my stomach slowly while still kissing my neck. "Will it happen again?"

I shake my head and reply, "No way, not if this is what im gunna be missing."

She laughs a little and again whispers in my ear, "Good." She pulls away slightly so that our foreheads are touching, as are our noses and our lips are only centimetres apart. She leans in, brushes her lips against mine and then… poof!

I bolt up into a sitting position on my bed, look over to my side and see Wakka has gone but steam is rushing out of the shower. There are two plates on the nearby table, one of which was empty and the other had some food taken off of it.

I slowly lie down again and close my eyes.

"Whoa…" I think out loud.

Wakka comes out of the bathroom with two towels. One around his waist and one around his torso. "What you say, brudda?"

"Nothing." I say with a small smile planted on my face.

"Ok. Well showers free and I suggest you use it quick ya. Were off as soon as we all wake up and eat." He dresses and walks outside. I rush to the table, shovel the food down my throght and run into the showers, nearly forgetting to take my clothes off.

I strip of my clothes and jump into the shower, not turning it on yet. I kept thinking about my previous dream. I mean, what man wouldn't if they had the most beautiful woman in bed with them, even if it was a dream.

Im brought back to Spira by the freezing cold water running into my hair and trickling down my back. I quickly jump out of the shower and wait for the water to run warm.

I take a shower, dry, dress and head outside.

Everyone is there except for Yuna. Auron is the first to see me and says instantly says to me, "Get ready for the journey ahead." Wakka adds on to this. "Were leaving once Yuna gets here."

"Tidus, why don't you go get her?" Says Lulu.

I nod and head towards the Temple. On the way to Yuna's room I run into Gatta. He see's me first and quickly begins the conversation, like he has to get something off his chest. "Im going back to Besaid. With Luzzu gone…"

"Yeah, it would be hard fighting alone, wouldn't it?"

"Most of the other Crusaders have already left. I'll go soon."

"OK. See ya then." I leave him to his thoughts and then I go into Yuna's room.

When I entered, there where too or three people on the floor recovering from the operation and in the corner was a bed and on the bed was a very sound asleep Yuna.

"She was working until dawn, healing the wounded, sending the fallen."

"OK. Guess I'll just let her sleep for now then."

I go to walk out and that's when Yuna started to stir. She lifts her tired eyes up and finds mine. She smiles as usual and yawns.

"Morning!" I say cheerfully.

"What? Morning?" She says a little alarmed.

"Don't worry…" I start but she's a little to worried to let me finish.

"But it morning! Im so sorry! I'll get ready right away just a moment!" With that she starts running around the room doing who know what.

"Don't worry its ok!" I say trying to calm her but nothing would work instead I ran to the party outside to warn them that Yuna would be apologizing all the way to the Moonflow or what ever they called it, but before I could utter a single word, Yuna ran out of the temple.

"Yo sleepyhead!" Says Wakka in a big brotherly way.

"Sorry, im so sorry!" She runs up to Auron and bows. "Please forgive me!"

Lulu walks up to Yuna and Auron and takes Yuna back. "Really there's no rush, here, you hair…"

Yuna looked a little shocked at this and immediately starts to fiddle with her hair. In all honesty I thought it was adorable. The others on the other hand took this opportunity to have a bit of a laugh.

"A Summoner with bad hair! What's the world coming to?" Wakka says, jokingly.

"You could have woken me up!" Yuna snaps back.

"We called to you… but with all that snoring!" Says Lulu

"What is it today! Everyone's picking on me!"

We all laugh a little at this, even Kimahri and Auron! Yuna notices this and runs up to him. "You too, Sir Auron?"

"Once Lady Yuna fixes her hair we leave." We continue to laugh and the others leave making me and Yuna the only once still by the temple.

_I hadn't really laughed like that in a long time. It was only later that I realised the only one really laughing then was me. Laughing must have been the only thing keeping them going._

Yuna continues to smile at me then we walk quickly to catch up with the others. We run into Lucil, and Elma before we reach the Djose Road again and Lucil looks a little stunned. "Off so early? Lady Yuna, you must be exhauster after working to hard last night, will you be OK?"

Yuna giggles a bit and then prays to Lucil and her companions. I feel that I have rested enough but thank you for you kindness. Will you be leaving too?"

Lucil nods. "Yes, first we cross the Moonflow and then we head north in search of Chocobo's the replace those we have lost."

"Once we find Chocobo's our mounted forces will ride again!" Adds Elma confidently.

_Hang on. Where's Clasko?_

"Aren't you missing someone?" I ask and on cue, Clasko comes running up to us shouting, "CAPTAIN! WAIT FOR ME!" When he reaches us he starts to pant heavily.

"What took you so long, were leaving." Elma says.

Clasko's eyes widen a little and says, " You expect me to keep up with a Chocobo!"

Lucil chuckles a little and says, "Lady Yuna, I wish you good fortune. Elma, Clasko! Lets go!"

"Cant I just rest a sec?" Clasko says

"No complaints!" Elma says back to him and they both run of the catch up with their Captain.

We walk down the road as well and we reach the turning point and I ask, "Where to next?"

We cross the Moonflow." Says Lulu.

"Gotcha! Moonflow baby here we come!" I say as we head down the path towards the Moonflow. On the way we saw a load of people on the grounds and familier faces like Shelinda.

"Good day everyone. We can all learn a lesson from what happened to the Crusaders. Only the truly Faithful have a hope of defeating Sin." That's all she says before wondering down the path again. We also saw Biran and Yenke from Luca.

"Look! One of Kimahri's friends! Looks just like him." He says to a man running away from us.

"What?" I say to them.

They turn to me and say, "Both follow Summoners on all fours! Hornless goatlings!"

Now Yenke says, "Hornless! Hornless!"

"You come to insult Kimahri?" Kimahri says to them.

"Wrong, we come to warn little Kimahri."

"Summoners disappear. Never return!"

"Next will be Kimahri's Summoner."

"Poor Kimahri! Lost his horn next lose his Summoner!"

"Pitiful Kimahri! Howl alone, howl alone!"

Biran and Yenke laugh and run off into the wood where they belong.

"Do those two got something against you?" I ask and only when it came out of my mouth I realized it was a stupid question.

He shakes his head. "What they were just picking on you?" I ask

"Kimahri will deal with them." Kimahri says firmly

"And I'll help!" I say

"Kimahri alone." He says even firmer.

"But…"

"It's Kimahri's problem. We cant interfere, it's a rule." Wakka says to back Kimahri up.

"Im worried." Lulu says suddenly.

"Let the Ronso deal with Ronso problem ya? Its how it always been."

"I mean im worried about those Summoners disappearing."

"Well, they aren't just disappearing into thin air." Auron adds

"Hey, if we guardians do our job, no problem right?" I say to try to get them to shut up and start moving.

"Confident." Says Lulu

I cross my arms over my chest and reply, "Yeah!"

We wonder off down the road and run into another familiar face.


	39. The Moonflow

_**The Moonflow**_

We wonder off down the road and run into another familiar face.

Belgemine spots us first and says, "We meet again."

Then she brings up a depressing subject. "I heard you took part in Operation Mi'ihen. You've seen that Machina isn't the answer. In the end, only Summoners can hope to defeat Sin."

"You are right." Yuna says. "I must train harder."

"I can help with that if you like. I propose a contest of Aeons, a friendly contest of course."

"Im ready." States Yuna.

The battle commenced. Belgemine Summoned Ixion, the Aeon we acquired at Djose, and Yuna Summoned Ifrit. This battle did not take long and once again, Yuna had been victorious.

Yuna had been given, for a reward, something called "Summoners Soul," I think it was something that could help Yuna's Aeons learn new abilities and stuff.

"I look forward to meeting you again. Till next time, Yuna." Says Belgemine. She walks off down the road while Yuna observes the S.S.

(Summoners Soul)

We didn't have anymore interruptions or stops along the way. After about 1 hour of walking, we come across a large lake. There are a load of flowers in the lake that are swarming with Pyerflies.

"This is the Moonflow." Says Lulu, also looking around at the lake.

I whistle and Yuna sits down by the lake and looks at the flowers.

"These are Moon lilies. They say that clouds of Pyerflies gather here when night falls." She adds dreamily.

"The entire river glows like a sea of stars." Lulu says quietly.

"Really?" I say.

_That's a sight id like to see. Like the sea in Zanarkand._

"Hey I got an idea!" I shout and Auron instantly replies, "Were not waiting till nightfall."

_Damn it…_

"Fine then, once we beat Sin, were coming back!" I say and continue to observe to scenery.

There no reply from anyone to I take it they gave up and went along with it.

"Hey! We'd better hurry or we'll miss the shoopuf!" Say Wakka running ahead.

"Shoopuf? Is that some kind of boat?" I ask. Wakka, forgetting im not from here, runs but and point in the general direction we was headed. I could hardly see what he meant so I just went along with him until I did see what he meant.

"What the… Whoa!" I shout. I was looking at bluish greyish elephant. Well it looked like an elephant instead of the ears. It also had a tail like a dinosaur.

"This is a shoopuf!" Wakka says coming up to me.

I instantly want to go on one of these thing that I shout, "Lets ride! Come on lets go!"

"Alright! We board as soon as were ready ya?" He says and he wonders of somewhere.

Then Yuna comes out of nowhere and stares at the Shoopuf.

"Shoopufs! I haven't ridden one in so long!"

"You've been on one of these?" I ask

She nods. "Just once, 10 years ago with Kimahri." She turns to her furry guardian. "Remember?"

He nods slowly and say, "Shoopuf shock. Yuna fell in water. Shoopuf scoop up Yuna with long nose. Yuna jump in 3 more times for fun."

Yuna giggles a bit at the memory and then turns her expression serious and guilty when Kimahri adds, "Kimahri worried."

"Whoops." Yuna says

Kimahri shakes his head though. "Yuna had fun. Kimahri happy."

Then they continue to the Shoopuf dock or whatever it was. I can see 3 people in the distance, near where Wakka and Lulu were.

"No. I don't shink sho. Ish bad idea yesh." Says a small blue person with funny ears.

"Please we beg of you!" Say Lucil, behind her and Elma and Clasko and behind Clasko was their single Chocobo.

"Imposhibible! Imposhibible!" Says the blue person.

"Whats wrong?" I ask

"This guy wont let our Chocobo on the Shoopuf!" Elma shouts, clearly outraged.

I turn to the Chocobo, and see the drivers point of view.

"It is kinda big."

"It just not fair!"

"He does have a point though…" Says Clasko and Elma is instantly on his case.

"So what? We just leave him behind?"

"Hey I didn't say that!" Clasko says quickly as Lucil sighs and walk towards us.

"Its no good. We will have to find another way. We will find a ford where we can cross on foot." Lucil says, glumly.

The driver goes round us and goes to stand near the Shoopuf docks.

"Yes Captain, Sir!" Says Elma

"But, that will take days!" Clasko said

"Where there's a will, theres a way!" Says Lucil

"That's our captain!" Elma says in admiration

Captain Lucil jumps onto the Chocobo and runs with Elma and Clasko not to far behind her.

_Where there's a will, there's a way. Those words stayed with me. I wonder how Captain Lucil is doing._

I walk over to Lulu and Wakka to discuss getting on the Shoopuf and Wakka says, "Let the driver know when your ready."

"Riding a Shoopuf, isn't _that _much fun." Lulu sighs at the mention of Shoopuf.

"How little you know! Some thing little boys never grow out of!" Says Wakka in reply and then me and Wakka say in usion, "Right!"

"Lulu just puts her hand on her head and walks towards the docks, waiting for me, Wakka and the rest of the group. When we all got there, the driver said, which I find funny the way he said it, "Ride ze Shoopuf?" Apparently, these blue people have trouble saying S's.

"Were ready! Let us on!" I say, not wanting to wait another second.

"All abourdz!" The driver says and the lift behind him turns comes down. We get onto it and within second were on the Shoopuf. Well in the carriage part of the Shoopuf anyway.

The driver get onto the Shoopuf's neck and shouts, "Shoopuf launchin'!"

We begin to slowly drift into the deepest part of the water and we sit in silence. That is, until Wakka gets my attention. "Hey. Take a look." He looks over to the side, signalling be to look over it as well.

"Whoa!" I say, nearly falling of the edge and into the water.

I couldn't believe what I was looking at. I was looking at a city. An underwater city.

"A sunken city!" I shout.

"A Machina city, 1000 years old. They build the city on top of bridges across the river." Says Wakka also looking at the wrecked place.

"But the weight of the city caused the bridges to collapse, and it all sank to the bottom." Adds Lulu

"Right. It's a good lesson."

"A lesson?" I say

"Yeah, why build a city over a river ya?"

"Well, it would be convenient with all that water there."

"No, that's not why. They just wanted to prove they could defy the laws of nature."

"Im not so sure about that…"

"Yevon has taught us "When humans have power, they seek to use it." You don't stop them, they go to far ya?"

I turn my attention away from the water and back to Wakka. "Yeah, but don't you use Machina too? Like the Stadium and stuff right?"

"Yevon, it decides which Machina we may use and which we may not." Lulu answers

"What kind of Machina may be not use then?" I ask

"Remember operation Mi'ihen? That kind." Wakka says, snapping a little.

"Or war will rage again." Lulu again adds.

"War?"

This time Yuna speaks up. "More then 1000 years ago, man kind were waging war using

Machina to kill."

"They kept building more and more powerful Machina." Wakka adds

"They made weapons so powerful," Lulu continues, "It was thought they could destroy the entire world."

"The people feared that Spira would be destroyed." Yuna says in a soft voice.

"But the war did not stop!" Shouts Wakka

"What happened then?"

Yuna answers. "Sin came. And it destroyed the cities and their Machina."

"The war ended, and our reward war Sin." Lulu says, letting the history lesson end.

"So Sin's our punishment for letting things get outta hand, eh?" Wakka states.

"Man, that's rough."

"Yeah it is."

"But, its not like the Machina are bad."

"Only as bad as their users." Lulu says rather darkly.

"Its because of people like the Al Bhed screwing everything up!" Wakka says as he punches the seat.

Then the Shoopuf came to a stop. And then there was a bump that made me fall back onto my seat. "Whatsh could thatsh be?" Says the driver.

Another bump and Yuna gets up and looks over the edge. "Sit down!" Commands Auron.

"Yuna is about to when a man I recognise to be Al Bhed jumps up and grabs Yuna, pulling her off board.

"The Al Bhed!" Shouts Wakka as he and I jump off board as well to get her back.


	40. One Summoner and 6 Guardians

_**The Moonflow**_

"The Al Bhed!" Shouts Wakka as he and I jump off board as well to get her back.

We swam down to follow the Al Bhed kidnapper and found he had secured he in an Al Bhed Machina fighting Machine.

The Machina has 6 arms and a bubble where Yuna was being kept.

"Help!" She mouthed through the glass. I nod to her and start attacking the Machina as does Wakka. This battle I pulled of a successful Dark Attack, only to find that it doesn't work on Machina…

Bubble were emerging from Wakka mouth as he struggled to keep his laughter in.

A few more swipes and the Machina started to spark from the electricity mixing with the water. Before Wakka could stop me, I swan to the glass ball and my sword cut right through it. I grab Yuna and swim up to the surface.

Lulu was looking down at us and when the Shoopuf saw Yuna, it brought it trunk down and scooped her up and placed her safely back into the carriage. It then scooped up Wakka and when it was my turn I ducked back under the water to see what had happened to the Machina. 2 or 3 people had swam quickly from the Machina and just when the Al Bhed had reached the surface, the Machina made a huge explosion that forced me back a little.

Before I could swim down to take a closer look, the Shoopuf had stuck its trunk back into the water and picked me up.

As soon as I got into the carriage Lulu does the most bizarre thing. I would have NEVER in this lifetime thought she would do this to me.

She first approaches me, scolds and then hugs me. My eye brows raise considerably and my jaw hits the deck.

"Don't get used to this." Snaps Lulu as she lets go. "Thank you." She mutters.

Wakka looks at me wide eyed, shrugs and sits down.

"Are you hurt?" Asks a panicked Lulu, directing her attention to Yuna now.

Yuna is a little chocked about what just happened and replies slowly, "No im fine."

I feel a wave of relief go through me and Wakka expressed his feelings, again, for the Al Bhed. "Argg! Those Al Bhed!"

From down below we here the driver shout, "Ish ebilibody okay?"

Yuna gets up from her seat and shouts down the driver while waving, "Im sorry, were al okay now!"

"YUNA!" Shouts Auron. Yuna first frowns and then realises what he means. She puts her arm down and quickly takes her seat back, putting her hands in her lap, smiling.

"Shoopuf full shpeed ahead!" Shouts the driver as we once again sail through the water.

"Damn the Al Bhed!" Mutters Wakka. "What do they want from us? Could it have something to do with Luca? What are they after Yuna for?"

A few seconds pass and then its like a light bulb appeared above his head. "Wait! They're mad they lost the tournament!"

He nods to himself mutter "Yeah, that's it…" Then he comes back with, "Or wait! They're mad about operation Mi'ihen!"

"I wonder, didn't Kimahri's clansmen say something. About Summoners disappearing?" Lulu says.

_Yeah… Isaaru and Maroda said something about that as well…_

"So the Al Bhed are behind that? Those sand-blasted grease monkeys!" Shouts Wakka at the top of his voice.

When he calls the Al Bhed "Sand-blasted grease monkeys," I remember looking at Yuna. Not because she fitted his description or anything, but because she, well,**didn't** fit his description.

_Well, this proves to me that not all the Al Bhed are bad. I mean look at Yuna… NO! Don't look at Yuna!_

Although my mind said "No" my eyes said "Yes", but when I looked at her, all I saw was her hair where she had hung her head. I decide to break the silence and say,

""Hey Wakka, its no use complaining about the Al Bhed now right?"

He doesn't look at all convinced so I decide to take it further.  
"We'll protect Yuna from anyone, anywhere. Its that easy and that all I need to know!"

Wakka seemed to be convinced when we continues, "Well I guess so."

Then yet another unbelievable thing done/said by Lulu, "Your right."

Yuna looks at me smiles and mouths to me, "Thank you."

I smile and nod and continue to look at the city but my mind is swarming with thoughts of the elegant beauty sitting across from me.

I snap out of my thoughts when I hear the lift coming up and stopping at the carriage. People are instantly surrounding us when we get of the Shoopuf and are asking Yuna al sorts of questions.

"Looks like were stuck here for a while…" Lulu says, sighing.

I look down the path and remember that somewhere around here was where one of the Al Bhed came of that Machina.

"I'll be right back!" I shout back to the other while I start running down the path. I go to turn a corner but im stopped. I see one of the Al Bhed lying in the water.

_Something about this one seems familiar. I've defiantly seen those clothes before. Was it at Luca, or Operation Mi'ihen? Whoa wait!_

"Your not dead?" I ask

I go to nudge her when she gets up and looks right at me. Then she turns her attention to her clothes. She reaches over to the armour on her shoulder and unclips it. It falls from her shoulders to the floor. Then she reaches behind her and I can hear a zip being pulled.

_Wait! She's striping!_

Then she starts to pull the clothing off. When she is completely out of the socking wet clothes, she is in an orange top and green shorts. She takes of the head garment which held her goggles on and when she is rid of that she says, "Thought I was done for back there!"

She falls onto her hands and knees while im trying to think where the hell I've seen her before.

_Wait! Now I remember! Her name is…_

"Rikku! Your Rikku! Your okay! How've ya been!" I ask, excited to see her.

She shakes her head though and replies, "Terrible…"

_Come to think of it you do look a little pale._

"Yeah, you don't look so good, what happened?"

Then she points her finger at me and snaps, "YOU beat me up, remember!"

_What? When did I beat her up? The only punching that was done between us was when she knocked me out. Ok now thinking about it like that makes me sound pathetic._

_I can just hear Zanar back home, "**Tidus, the star player of the Zanarkand abes, was beaten to a pulp by a 15 year old girl!**"_

_Wait I came out here to find her, and she came from the Machina…_

"That Machina… that was you?"

She nods and grunts. "That really hurt you know? You big meanie!"

"But you attacked us!"

"She shakes her head while grunting again. "Its not exactly what you think…" Before she can explain we hear someone shouting, "Yo!"

I turn to see Wakka and the gang coming straight towards us.

_Uh oh, Wakka's gunna have a fit!_

He looks at Rikku and then at me. "Friend of yours?"

"You could say that…"

Then the cheery voice of Rikku says, "Pleased to meet ya! Im Rikku!"

_Ok, going good so far._

"Yuna, Lulu I told you about her right? She was the who helped me before I was washed up on Besaid! She's the Al Bh…" I remember that Wakka is standing right next to me so I cough violently, trying to cover it up. This ends with Wakka smacking my back painfully and Yuna and Lulu gasping.

"Wow, so you like owe her your life! What luck meeting here ya? Praise be to Yevon." He prays to Rikku and her eyebrows raise and then she just shrugs.

When he finishes he looks at Rikku and says, "Rikku, you look a little beat up, you okay?"

"Uh, Wakka…" Starts Lulu but she's cut off.

"What?"

"Theres something we need to discuss." Yuna says

"Oh, go ahead."

Then Rikku goes up to Yuna and says, "Girls only! Boys please wait over there!"

Then the girls go of and Wakka's says something that I KNOW he's been wanting to get of his chest. "You doin' a Dark Attack on a Machina… HA!"

"Hey it was my first time ok? You should be proud of me!" I say in my defence.

"Yeah, but I thought you would have had more sense then that!" He starts to laugh again

"Whatever, man."

A little while later, the girls come back, thank goodness, but approach Auron before anyone else. "Sir Auron," Yuna starts. "I would like Rikku to be my guardian."

Auron looks at Rikku and she has a big boyish smile on her face with her eyes closed.

When Auron goes to approach her she hangs her head down.

"Show me your face." He orders but she does not. "Look at me."

"Oh, okay…" She lifts her face but her eyes are still closed. "Open your eyes…" Auron orders again.

She sighs and opens one eye to him, but it seemed that was enough. "As I thought."

"Hmmm, no good?" Rikku says hesitantly.

"Are you certain?" Says Auron

Then Rikku looks at him with another boyish smile and answers "A hundred percent! So, anyway, can I?"

Auron shrugs and says, "If Yuna wishes it."

"Yes I do!" Yuna says happily

To help Rikku out I add on, "Rikku's a good girl, she helped me a bunch!"

"Well im for it. The more the merrier!" Says Wakka, which was a little disturbing for me.

_So, he hates the Al Bhed with all his heart, but he doesn't even know he's travelling with 2 now? Wow, that it just, wow._

"Then I'll just have to be the merriest!" Says Rikku

_It was strange. Even though Wakka had always hated the Al Bhed, he never realised that Rikku was one of them._

So, from that day on, we continued the pilgrimage with one Summoner and 6 guardians.

Man! I couldn't wait to see Dona's reaction!

A.N: YAY! Chapter 40! Not bad for nearly 2 mouths worth of work... right? Well, anyways, I hope you are enjoying the story so far and I hope to see some reveiws! Please... No really. I wanna see what you guys think of my writing. Am i good, bad, terrible, awful, anything. If you have a problem with my writing, pleeeeeeeese let me know so i can improve! Till next time!


	41. Guadosalam

_**Guadosalam**_

We walked down the Moonflow road, Wakka in front, Rikku, Lulu and Auron in front of me, Yuna and Kimahri.

As always we walk in silence, as always, but Rikku decides to break our routine by grunting and saying, "I cant take the silence any further! Yuna! How do you put up with it!"

Yuna smiles and giggles then shrugs. Then she doubles back and squeezes in between me and Yuna. "So, what happened when we lost ya?" She asks me.

"I found myself on Besaid and…" Im cut of by Rikku herself.

"Oh! A treasure chest! I wonder what's inside!" She says running up to a chest a opening it. Turns out the only thing(s) that were in it where Bomb cores.

Then a fiend came out of nowhere and ran into Rikku, making her stumble and nearly fall over. "You should know, im scary when I get mad! Im gunna use that item I just got on YOU! You'll be sorry!"

Then she reaches into her pocket and grabbed the bomb cores, fiddled about with them and threw them to the fiend making it explode with fire.

"What did you just do?!" Shouts Wakka

"That was great!" I shout

"I can combine items and use them like this! Its not that tough really." She explains.

"Ok! What were you saying?" She asks me.

I told her most of the stuff what happened on the way to the city of the Guado's, Guadosalam. I only told her briefly though.

We walk into the city, our intention only to pass through, when a man I recognise to be a Guado comes up to us and says, "We have been expecting you, Lady Yuna. Welcome to Guadosalam. This way my lady, this way."

He goes to grab Yuna's wrist but me and Wakka are in the way. "Whoa!"

The Guado frowns and then opens his eyes wide in embarrassment. "Oh! I beg your pardon! I am Tromell Guado." He steps back and bows. "I am in the direct service of our great leader, Seymour Guado! Lord Seymour has important business with Lady Yuna."

"Business with me? What ever could it be I wonder?"

"Please come inside the manor. All will be explained. Of course your friends are welcome as well." Tromell turns and walks towards the manor with the rest of us following behind.

We walk into the manor and Tromell says, "Could you please wait here for a moment while I inform Lord Seymour?"

"Of course." Yuna says as he leaves.

Me, Wakka and Lulu head up the stairs to look at some portraits. The only confusing thing was that they all looked the same.

"These are the past leaders of the Guado." Lulu says as if she can read my mind.

"They all look the same."

"But Maester Seymour doesn't look like them though." Says Wakka

"Don't you know? Asks Lulu. I raise my eyebrows in question and she continues, "The last leader, Jyscal Guado, wed a human woman. She was Seymour's mother."

A door then opened and Tromell came through it. "This way please."

"I will go inform Lord Seymour. Please wait here." He bows and leaves.

_Isn't that what you just done? Whatever…_

When he is totally out of eye shot, Rikku dives at the table of fruit awaiting her. "Thish ish goog!" She says with her mouth full of grapes.

I nod and chuckle and go to talk with some of the others. After a couple of conversations, the doors open and Tromell comes out. "Truly it is good to have guests again. Since Lord Jyscal passed away these halls have been to quiet."

Yuna nods slowly and says, "The death of Lord Jyscal was a great lose for all of Spira."

"Was this Maester Jyscal really such a great guy?" I whisper to Wakka

"He brought the Teachings of Yevon to the Guado. He was truly a great man." Wakka says in full voice. Tromell with his bat ears hears this and says, "Truly a lose for us all.

But now a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all I think. Lord Seymour, he will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira!"

_Wow. Talk about worship… Speak of the devil._

"That is enough Tromell. Must I always endure such praise?" Say Seymour walking in from one of the door at the back of the room.

"Welcome!" He says, but he was only looking at Yuna when he said this.

"You wanted to see me?" Yuna says stumbling a little.

"Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush."

"Please keep this short, Yuna must rush." Auron comments stubbornly.

"Pardon me. It has been a long time since I had guests."

_Gee I wonder why._

"Lady Yuna, this way." Seymour goes into a door and we follow him through it.

"Please, it will take a few moments." Seymour says as we walk into the pitch black room.

Then once we were all in the room the walls, floor and ceiling were a different shade of black and it had stars shooting across them.

"This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead that wonder the Farplane."

The black space began to turn into buildings and bridges as far as I could see. These buildings and bridges I seemed to recognise.

_Yes, the Blitz stadium is over there. The docks are over there. And my boat house over there! Were in…_

"Zanarkand!" I say, not able to control the volume of my voice.

"Correct Zanarkand, as it looked 1000 years ago. The great and wondrous Machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived in this metropolis."

Curious, Yuna asks, "She who?"

The scene changes completely from the bird eye view of the city, to a simple bed room. The room has a massive ceiling with patterns on it, mirrors everywhere, wardrobes and drawers and a king sized bed in the middle. On the bed sat a woman with silver hair and very little clothing.

"Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna says

"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages. And you, have inherited her name." Seymour says to Yuna.

"It was my Father who named me." Yuna says quietly.

"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin as Lady Yunalesca did. However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the un-defeat able Sin, it took an unbreakable bond of love. The kind that binds to hearts for eternity.

I started to hear a loud clanging coming into the room. I turn and see a man dressed in armour walk straight through Yuna. Yunalesca got up quickly and ran to him. The two embraced and then the room went white. I look over to Yuna and Seymour and Seymour is whispering something in her ear.

When he pulls away, Yuna starts to blush madly and her hand comes up to her mouth as she gasps.

_I don't like the look of that…_

The white has now all gone and we find ourselves back in the room with all the food. When Yuna sees a glass full of water on a table nearby she walks to it and downs all of the water. She then puts the glass back and runs to us.

Rikku is the first one to speak. "Wow, your face is beat red!"

"You OK?" I ask, my voice being a bit to concerned then I hoped for.

Yuna in response makes loads of sounds like shes trying to make up her mind. She look at Seymour and then back at us and then finally spits it out.

"He…He asked me to marry him." She says, blushing even more now.

"You serious?" I say, scrunching my fists as hard as I can. "Hey!" I shout to Seymour.

"You know what Yuna must do." Auron says to Seymour.

"Of course, Lady Yuna, no, all Summoners are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more then just defeating Sin, she must ease the suffering of Spira. She must be a leader for the people. I proposed to Lady Yuna as a Maester of Yevon."

_Maester or not, you still proposed to my girl! Wait… what am I thinking? MY girl?_

_I don't remember us being in a relationship, sure I have strong feelings for her but still._

Auron brings me out of my thought. "Spira is no playhouse. A moment's diversion may amuse an audience, but it changes nothing."

"Even so, the actors must play their parts. There's no need to answer right away. Please, think it over." He directs this at Yuna but Auron answers for her. "We will do so then. We leave." Auron goes to leave and so am I until I hear Seymour say, "Lady Yuna, I await your favourable reply."

_If you wasn't a Maester, I would so kick 10 barrels of shit out of you!_

Yuna doesn't do or say anything to this just starts to leave like the rest of us.

We are stopped, once again by Seymour. "Why are you still her Sir?" He is looking straight at Auron when he says this as well. Auron doesn't say anything just stops.

"I beg you pardon. We Guado are keen on the scent of the Farplane."

_Farplane? People go there when they die and get sent, what's that got to do with Auron?_

_Scent? What did he mean my that?_

I go up to Auron and start to smell him to see what Seymour was talking about and I can to a conclusion before Auron shoved me away: Seymour must have amazing sense of smell.

We walk out and we discuss the matter at hand.


	42. The Farplane

_**The Farplane**_

We sit in silence and Lulu is the first to break it. "Yuna, the High Summoners daughter. Seymour, leader of the Guado. Marries in the name of Yevon, overcoming the barriers of race. It would give Spira something cheery to talk about, for a change."

_Damn! Lulu!_

"Sounds just like a passing daydream like Auron says." Wakka replies.

_Yes! Wakka!_

Now its my turn. "Come on! Lets just get on with the pilgrimage. I mean, marriage?" I scoff and Rikku says back to me with a mischievous smile, "Jealous?"

"What, no way! We gotta defeat Sin! Romance can wait!" I say trying to cover up my reddening cheeks. Rikku just does one of those "If you say so" grunts, but keeps the smile firmly planted on her face.

"He sure picked a fine time to lay this one on us…" Wakka says, mainly to himself.

"Maybe it is a fine time." Says Yuna quietly.

I seriously think my heart sank to the floor when she said says that. "You serious?"

"If my getting married would help Spira, if it would make people happy, if I could do that for people, maybe I should do what I can." She says. She was looking around to see everybody reaction but seemed not to want eye contact with me.

"I never imagined doing anything like this. But I would answer until I know what's right." She continues.

Unable to say anything else, I stutter, "Seriously?"

Rikku on the other hand seems to support this idea. "You could always quit your pilgrimage and get married."

_Don't encourage her Rikku!_

"I will," She says, taking a breath.

_No, please for goodness sake Yuna… Please, please, please…_

"Go on." She continues. "Im sure Lord Seymour will understand."

I feel a big wave of relief pass over me when she says this.

_Oh thank goodne- Yevon… Thank Yevon…_

"Um, I guess so." Rikku says, a little sad.

"I am a Summoner. I must fight and defeat Sin!" Yuna says with confidence.

"Like Braska before you." Auron comment and Yuna nods.

_I had to stop myself from shouting, "What's there to think about?"_

Yuna stands up and announces, "Im going to the Farplane. Im going to see my Father and think on this."

"Go on. We'll be right behind you." Says Lulu in a big sister sort of way.

_I wondered why none of the other ever asked Yuna: Do you love Seymour? Did you even like him?_

"Alright, lets go." Yuna says as she walk quickly up on of the slopes and through a archway.

I walk with my eyes to the floor thinking what I'd do if she did accept Seymour's proposal. Wakka see's im a little glum and stops until I catch up to him.

"You alright, brudda?" He asks.

"Just fine." I say back to him, obviously he doesn't buy it so he presses on.

"You sure? I mean, you've been quite, or not talking more then 5 words to somebody since Seymour's."

I shrug and he says, "You scared about what Yuna might say?"

I feel that if answer the question truthfully (Of course im worried Wakka. The thought of her marrying tattoo man make me jealous as hell!) or not so truthfully (Nah. Why would I care about what she does? She's a stupid little brat, I hate her!) im gunna get bruises that are gunna last weeks.

I just shake my head and think of the sphere Seymour showed us. Zanarkand!

"I just keep thinking about home. The sphere that Seymour showed us was an exact replica of my Zanarkand."

_Oh great, now im starting to feel a little home sick…_

Wakka just puts his hand on my shoulder. "I'll leave you to your though ok?"

I nod and he runs ahead to get back in line with Lulu.

It didn't take long to get to this Farplane place. Only about a 2 minuet walk from the manor. But the closer I got to the Farplane, the more it bothered me.

_Were gunna be going to see the dead… ghosts and ghouls…_

"Question! About this Farplane, when somebody dies a Summoner sends then to the Farplane, right? So their souls, or whatever they are, they go to the Farplane right? But that's the Farplane were going to right?" I point towards the portal/door that separates the world to the Farplane. "And Yuna's old mans there too? Do dead people live there of something?"

Then a sort of image runs through my mind. Im in the middle of a black space and white ghosts come out of the ground.

I must have made a face or a sound that looked/sounded like a frightened one because Wakka says out of nowhere, "You thinkin' them funny thoughts again ya?"

I chuckle a little and then rub my neck.

"You'll see once we get there." Wakka says and he turns and goes in through the portal and the rest follow him. All except Auron and Rikku. Rikku was behind us and Auron was sitting down on the stairs leading up to the Farplane.

"Aren't you coming?" I ask walking back down to him.

"I do not belong there." He says simply.

"Your scared!" I say, but then I realise that kinda stupid as Auron has faced loads of types of monsters and fiends and not once had to change his pants. Seriously.

"Searching the past to find the future, this is all that is there, I don't need it. You had better be going." Auron says as he tries to shoo me away like a dog.

"Your not really doing to see the dead, more like your memories of them. People think of their relatives and the Pyerflies react to them. They take on the form of the dead person. An illusion, nothing else." She says, trying to help me.

"Well, have fun!" She says while waving and taking an apple out of her pocket.

"What? Your not going either Rikku?" I say, a little shocked.

"I keep my memories inside. Memories are nice but that's all they are." She walks over to the ledge of the stairs and swings her legs over it, eating the apple.

"Okay, if your sure." I turn and head up the stairs.

I walk up to the portal and test it before I go on. I tap the rainbow flashing curtain and then fully push through. I am instantly on the other side and see Pyerflies everywhere.

Yuna is a little way of with her back turned to me. She is looking at two people holding hands, a man and a woman. The man I decided on the spot was Yuna's Father, Braska.

The woman holding his hand must have been her mother.

_Being in the Farplane was cool, but I couldn't stop thinking about Yuna. Her parents, they looked so happy together. But it got me worries that maybe seeing them would make Yuna really consider Seymour's proposal._

Wakka is near to my right, talking with an orange haired guy, like him. Lulu isn't too far off watching as Wakka is talking to this man. I look closely and see they have the same face features, hair and eyes.

_He must be Wakka's brother… Chappu, I think._

It was a while though until my guess was confirmed. Wakka eventually greets his little brother and starts to talk to him. "Yo Chappu! Meant to come see ya earlier. Sorry." Wakka bows to him. "I know you wont hold it against me. I gave up the game. Im a guardian from here on ya know?"

He takes a pause and then continues, "This guy, looks a lot like you showed up. Travelling with him I thought maybe you were still alive somewhere ya? But, here you are on the Farplane, guess your place is here. So, how ya been? Oh! That guy I just told you about, I gave him your sword, he likes it."

Sometimes when Wakka was chatting to Chappu, Lulu came and stood next to me. Company I guess.

"He is dead, and I am still alive. Coming here really makes that clear." She says, with a little bit of sadness in her voice. "I should focus more on what I have to do now." She then goes into a giggling fit and says, "Im not even sure what im saying."

"Don't you mean that you should leave Chappu behind? I mean, im sure he was a great guy and all, but there will be others." I say, thinking that if she's in the wrong mood she's hit me for saying that. But all she does is say, "That's a possibility."

I take a chance and say, "How bout… Wakka?"

"What? Me? With Wakka?" She says. I was expecting her to giggle again but she says it seriously. This was a sigh she liked him.

Back in Zanarkand, this was the quickest way to see if someone liked someone.

"Yeah, you guys get along great!"

She shakes her head at this though. "Getting along isn't enough. Not even close."

_I guess I can see where your coming from. Being as Wakka is in fact Chappu's brother…awkward._

"Oh, sorry. My mistake."

"You'd do well to remember that. Knowing a bit about women might come in handy someday."

My thoughts instantly turn to Yuna. But then I remembered the possibility that she's engaged, so I let it drop.

"Yeah, I'll remember."

"I wont be forgetting either. Goodbye Chappu. You always said I looked grumpy, but those were the happiest days of my life."

I quietly leave her to her thoughts and head over to Yuna, who was still looking up at her parents.

"Yuna."

She turns and looks at me and then back at her folks and says, "I've decided."


	43. Pain in the ass

_**Such a pain in the ass**_

Well ladies and gentlemen, im in a bit of a pickle. See, my laptops gone of for repair and im not gunna see it for the next month or so, which is a pain. My laptop is the only one in the house and the only reason im able to post this is because of my brother's computer which he is taking with him to his new house soon, like tomorrow. So I wont be able to update The read through or My Guardian. (Btw could you tell me what you think of the first few chapters of My Guardian please?)

So yeah, No Laptop, No internet, No writing. Im in heaven for the next couple of weeks… cant wait…

I will try and update as soon as I get my laptop back. Hope I don't keep you guys waiting too long! See you when I see you!


	44. Love?

_**Love?**_

She turns and looks at me and then back at her folks and says, "I've decided."

My heart was pumping at 500 beats a minuet and my hands started to get sweaty from nervousness. I kept things flowing easily by say simply, "Oh, really? That's good."

"I remember when I was only 7 years old in Bevelle that day. My Father had just defeated Sin and the whole town was out in the streets. Everyone was laughing, they all seemed to happy. If I defeated Sin, that would make everyone happy too, wouldn't it?"

I couldn't tell where this was going but my brain decided to stop working as I couldn't find the word to say. I only shrug and Yuna continues.

"I must do what everyone wants, not just what I want." It takes a minuet for the penny to drop when I finally understand what she means; she's not going to marry Seymour. This makes me want to jump for joy but instead I try and stay calm by simply saying, "Lets go back. You gotta tell Seymour!"

Yuna shakes her head and says, "Before that, call Sir Jecht. Give it a try!"

I look to the edge of the Farplane and just wait. "Don't worry. He won't come." Yuna says.

_Trying not to think about my old man, made me think about him, of course._

And, as fate would have it, he didn't show, making Yuna laugh a little and say, "See! Told you."

_He's not here because he's not dead. He's Sin._

Im still looking out on the Farplane when I hear Yuna say, "That means he's alive you know?"

_What if my old man really is Sin? What would I say to Yuna? Heck, to everybody in Spira?_

_Wait, why should **I **have to apologize for him anyway?_

"Id rather I never see him again…" I say with a tiny bit of regret in my voice, knowing if I never saw him again I could never beat the crap outta him, also because I knew I had to meet him again anyways.

"What makes you hate him so?" Yuna asks in the gentlest voice. I know this is a little harsh, but her being so gentle and patient with me made me a little angry. Whenever I think about my old man makes me really wanna argue with somebody. But in all honesty, I don't think I could ever have a proper argument with her. Id probably shut up before I could say anything that upset her.

"Everything he does just makes me mad. It was his fault that me and my mother…" Im cut off by the sound of pyerflies gathering. I look up to see a cloud of them, one by one rushing in a different direction. When they all left, the image of a familiar woman stood before me. The woman was wearing a sort of yellow top and blue trousers. Her expression was sort and her hair was brown.

It takes a second for me to fully recognize her, but when I do I feel all the hatred and anger float away.

"Mom? Its her!" I say, happy to see her after 10 or so years.

"She's very pretty." Says Yuna as I nod in agreement. I couldn't do or say anything else, I was just so happy to see her, even if she was just a memory. But after a moment of staring at my decest mother something hits me.

"Wait, nobody ever performed the Sending for her."

"She must have accepted death while she was still alive."

"Whoa there, that's my mother your talking about." I say, trying to sound offended.

"Im sorry!" Says Yuna, turning her head toward me.

I shake my head and say, "Its OK."

I watch my Mother for a few more moment and for some reason, Yuna saying she "Accepted death" made a lot of sense.

"I think I just figured something out, why I hate my old man."

I look at mom for a while as memories of Zanarkand come running back to me. Memories of Mom, Dad and me. One of them stuck out in particular so I hang onto it.

_Mom and dad when leaning on the edge of the house while looking dreamily out at our city. "So I told him what I though of him, right there!" Says my old man as I slowly walk up the stairs._

"_Really?" Asks Mom_

"_Course!"_

"_I suppose but…"_

"_Mommy!" The younger me shouts from the middle of the stair case._

"_Just a sec dear!"_

_The mini me just looked at his mother as tears started to form in his eyes._

"Whenever my old man was around, my mother wouldn't even look at me. Maybe that when I started to resent him, even hate him. When he left us, Mom just lost her energy."

The memory goes from my mind and is replaced by another one.

_The 7 year old me was standing on the roof of the house looking out to the city as the parent once did._

"_Is she alright?" Says a strange man in a red coat, black sunglasses and black hair._

"_Why should you care?" I ask the man_

"_If she dies, I wouldn't know what to do."_

"_DON'T SAY MOM IS GUNNA DIE!" I shout at the top of my voice_

_The man looks a little startled and then for a second I could have sword I saw a flicker of a smile. He then turns to leave and says, "My apologies."_

"That old lady next door told me; when a love bird dies, the one left behind, it just gives up living, so it can join its mate. It was just like that. I hated my old man even more."

The flashbacks end and im still looking at my mother. A realization hits me and I say, "Oh man, I must sound so stupid!" I say, my cheek reddening when Yuna says back, "I don't think so."

I look from my mother to the floor and say, "How embarrassing!"

We hear footsteps coming from behind and I turn to see Wakka, Lulu and Kimahri behind us.

"Well, need some more time?" Wakka says

"No, Im ready." Yuna says back

Lulu looks at me to Yuna and then to the pyerflies leaving. "Did I miss something?"

I put my hand on my head and we walk out of the Farplane. We walk down the steps to find Rikku throwing the apple up and down, taking occasional bites and Auron, now standing and with his one good eye, following the apple up and down.

We reach them and Auron and Rikku both turn to us. "Thanks for waiting. I'll go give my answer the Maester Seymour." We all turn to leave until we hear gasps behind us. We turn and see everyone looking at the Farplane entrance. We go into our fighting stances as we see the source of the problem. A ghostly figure began to appear through the portal. He had tattoos on his face so I recognized him to be a Guado.

"Lord Jyscal!" Said one of the Guado.

Jyscal looked as if he was reaching out, asking for something. "He does not belong here." States Auron firmly.

"Why?" Replies Yuna

"Yuna send him."

She sadly nods her head and approaches the ghost. Pyerflies surround us as Yuna puts her hands together. "Lord Jyscal…"

"He is Lord Jyscal no more. Send him now." Lulu says

Yuna hands her head in defeat and the pyerflies begin to grow brighter as Yuna prays. She pray and prays… until Jyscal turns into a cloud of Pyerflies. The pyerflies float up and into the portal. As this happened Yuna dropped to the floor and I heard a _Clink! _

_Must have been my hearing. Or maybe something on Yuna's dress. _I thought

"Talk later. We leave now." Says Auron in a sort of…struggling voice. Like your in pain or something.

We walk down towards the city again and conversation begins. "What was that just know? Was that really Lord Jyscal?" Says Wakka, a bit panicky.

"I don't understand that a man like Jyscal can die and not be sent." Says Yuna

"I would think that he was sent once, but he stayed on Spira. Something, like a powerful emotion bound him to this world. Such things happen." Lulu replies.

"But that's against the rules, isn't it?" Asks Rikku

Auron is the one to answer this. "It means he dies an unclean death."

_Unclean death? Murder?_

We walked back into the city and went straight to the manor. As Yuna goes to walk into the manor, Auron stops her. "Yuna. Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not yours."

Yuna says nothing to this and walks inside. When the doors close we all walk in different direction. I walk along side Lulu and say, "So Lulu, what do you think if Yuna getting married?"

I knew Yuna wasn't getting married, but since Lulu was like a sister to her, I wanted to hear her thoughts on the matter. She replies with a not so sisterly comment though. "As long as the pilgrimage continues, either way is fine."

"That it? What if she doesn't even like the guy, is that OK?"  
"People marry for different reasons. Sometimes marriage doesn't require love you know? Defeat Sin and bring joy to the people of Spira. Get married and bring joy to the people of Spira. For Yuna, their just two paths down the same road. All you need is determination. If you have that you don't need love."

I consider this for a moment and it doesn't really make sense in my head. In Zanarkand people only married for love. There were no monarchs or rulers that I knew of, or any important people, so the only reason people married was for love.

"I don't know… I just don't get it." We walk around in silence for a while and then Lulu says, "Listen. If Yuna gets married, then i…"

"What? That again?"

"Yes. If she were to marry, I would want her to marry for love. But, if Yuna said she wanted to marry the one she loves, I would have to object."

"Your not making much sense."

"I know."

I just kept playing a conversation between Lulu and Yuna in my mind.

"_Yuna I want you to marry for love."_

"_OK. I wanna marry him." Yuna point to random guy._

"_No. I am objecting."_

"…_Wha? But you just said…"_

"_I know."_

We continue walking in silence again and I say, "Lulu."

"I've talked enough about that."

"What?"

"Im sorry. Just forget about it."

"Grumpy…"

"You'll understand…one of these days. I just don't want to give it words yet."

She begins to walk away from me and then stops. "I shouldn't have to say this, but don't fall in love with her."

Before I can even think about a response I say, "Too late." I say this and my eyes go wide. Apparently so does Lulu's as she turns round and her eyebrows go up.

"I-I see. But you must keep your feelings inside until the pilgrimage is over." I nod to this and she turn and walks away.

_Why did I say that? AND, without even thinking about it? What's this…this butterfly feeling in my stomach? WHY CANT I STOP THINKING ABOUT YUNA?!_

An image of Yuna face pops up in my mind and I cant help but admire. Her brown chestnut hair, her beautiful bi-coloured eyes, her luscious looking lips…

_Oh my God, I- Im in love with Yuna…_

I needed to be away from everybody at the time so I started to stroll. I passed people who said all sort of things to me. I passed Rikku and she said out of nowhere when she saw me, "We have to go through the Thunder plains…" then I passed Kimahri, "Guado potion good… BUY SOME BEFORE LEAVING!"

All these comments went into one ear and out the other. It was a while before I bumped into Shelinda. "Oh my! Is the Lady Summoner not with you?"

I shake my head, trying to get my eyes to harden and not look in a dreamy sorta way. "No. She at Seymour's place."

Shelinda but her hands on her hips and said, "That's "Maester Seymour" or "Lord Seymour."

"Oh, I'll be careful, sorry."

"That's alright. Maester Seymour left Guadosalam a short while ago. I believe he went to the temple in Macalania. Maester Seymour is also the high priest of that temple."

"I gotta tell the others! Thanks!" I shout to her as I run off.

A.N: WOW! Dont worry im still alive! Sorry for a well over due update. My laptop is back but i might be slow on updates for 2 of the following reasons. Number 1. The copany had to completly wipe my date along with my stories and stuff so... not happy. and i also have to redownload some crap. Number 2. Summer arrived... and then it got on a train and pissed of :( I really wanna get a time machine and go back to my time wasted holiday which was spent playing pool and playing video games. But yeah, i am now starting my GCSE courses which means more homework and a few after school classes, WHAAA! So time wont be completly on my side till the weekend. So, please reveiw and stay tuned :)


	45. The Thunder Plains

_**The Thunder Plains**_

Yuna came out from the manor and I begin to explain. "They say Seymour went to Macarana temple."

Wakka behind me chuckles a bit and replies, "Macalania temple."

"Aye!" I say in a cracked embarrassed voice.

"What I don't get is, why would Lord Seymour head out without a peep to anyone."

My eyes fall onto Yuna as a small conversation breaks out. She was looking at the ground with a worried look on her face. Auron see's the same and says, "Yuna. What is it?"

Yuna took her eyes of the ground and looked at Auron. "Nothing." I could tell she was lying. She wasn't very good- well, her eyes weren't very good at it. Her facial features were convincing enough but her eyes gave it all away.

"You're a poor liar." Auron says bluntly.

Yuna see's the flaw and looks away. "Its true! Its nothing! Come on. Lets go." She walks away towards the exit and we follow. I was in the middle of the group and I kept my eyes fixed on Yuna.

_What would make her act this way? Is it Seymour? The marriage… No. She already made up her mind!_

The thought that Yuna would actually accept Seymour proposal really made my heart sink. Or that's what it felt like.

We continues through the dark corridor and Rikku finally mutters, "Oh no! Were here!"

_**Crash!**_

"Ah!" Rikku shouts as the bolt of lightning hits the floor. She puts her hands over her head for protection and I look at her in amusement. Then when the second bolt hits the floor, realisation hits me. "How are we meant to cross THAT?!"

"See the lightning rod towers?" Lulu says, pointing to the pitch black rod. When I nod she continues, "The lightning is drawn to them…hopefully…"

_Oh boy, that sounded like spirited "Hopefully"…_

"We head north, not to near and not to far from the towers, ya?" Wakka adds.

"Meaning we should avoid wide open areas." Lulu concludes.

Another lightning bolt hits the ground and another scream from Rikku. "I think I left something at Guadosalam."

Auron turns and says, "Nice knowing you."

"Okay, Okay! I'll go!" Rikku says as she hurries towards one of the rods.

An hour passed as we walked the Thunder Plains and I thought Rikku was about to break…which she did.

The hit right where I was about to stand and Wakka pulls me back. "That was a close one eh?" Wakka laughs as I chuckle a bit. Rikku from behind us starts to do fake giggles.

"Whats wrong?" Wakka asks, but she does the same giggle.

"Your giving me the creeps!" I shout to her.

She looks at me and then suddenly gets down on all fours and crawls quickly to me and starts hugging my leg. "I wanna go home! I hate lightning! I HATE thunder!" She points behind me and says in a pleading voice, "Lets go rest over there! Please?"

I turn a little and see one of Rin's agencies. "This storm never stops. Better to cross quickly." Auron says, immediately dismissing the idea of resting.

"I know, but just for a little while?" Rikku pleads again, hugging my leg tighter. I try to shake her of but she wasn't giving up easily. "Well, what now?" I ask as Auron sighs and hangs his head.

Rikku was strong willed, but Auron was much more stronger.

We head towards the agency and when me and Rikku stop, the other carried on.

"Pretty please? Just a few minuets?" Rikku asks.

The other kept on and I just sat on a rock, dying to see the outcome.

"Im scared of lightning! Lets rest here, please? Pretty please!"

Once again, they carried on and my eagerness grew as I sat up. "Im to young to die!"

The same result.

"Your mean, cruel! You moms would me ashamed of you!" That didn't bother them one bit as she continued to walk.

"Are you having fun doing this to me?" That time, Auron had had enough. "Fine. We rest. Shes worse then the storm!"

My jaw opens wide as I hear Auron admit defeat. Never in my 10 years of knowing Auron had I even done that. Rikku done what I couldn't to in 10 years! This made me have a lot more respect for her then I did.

_**Crash!**_

"Ahh!" Rikku screamed as she ran into the building.

_Maybe not…_

The agency looked the same as the one on the High Road. We spread out and picked a spot to sit or stand and my eyes fall onto Yuna, immediately making me blush as she noticed me staring. She looks at the floor and then says, "Im… a little tired." She walks to the lady behind the counter and says, "Do you have a room available?"

The lady looks up and says, "My lady summoner! Yes, just over that way." The lady point to down a hall.

"Thank you." Yuna says as she walks up the corridor to the room.

"Its not like her." Lulu states.

I stand there looking down the hall way and try to find an excuse to see if she's ok.

"I need to use the restroom." I say as I go down the hall.

I was for a full minuet until I hear mumbling from inside Yuna's room. It was a man's voice, but it didn't sound…real.

I press my ear to the door and try to hear properly but all I could hear was the same mumbling. I begin to lean against the door and then…

"Whoa!" I exclaim as I fall into the room. The door wasn't even closed properly, so when I leaned the door opened.

"Y-Yes?" Says a startles Yuna. She's staring at me with fearful eyes. I grunt a little and see the figure of a man on one of those spheres. I look at Yuna and she quickly turns it off. She looks back at me with an even more scared look.

"Its nothing really- I just um… Im sorry. I shouldn't have come in." I bow a little and then head towards the door. Embarrassed? I had already passed that stage. As I go through the door I remember the man on the sphere. I had a very vivid memory of his face and could have sworn id seen him before… Hey!

"Wasn't that, that Jyscal Guado guy?" I ask. There is a silence as Yuna swallows hard and blinks from nervousness.

As I wait for a reply, she nods and says, "The sphere is his will. It says 'Take care of my Son.'"

I nod a little and then say, "His son, Seymour?"

Again she nods and I say, "Well, I know one way to take care of him."

She stays quite for a little while and then says, "Im sorry." And then runs out of the room. I stand there, thinking I had upset her which made my heart bleed. My eyes fall onto the sphere. Something told me there was more to the sphere then she said. I go to turn it on until I hear footsteps from behind. I turn and then im blinded from yellow clothing.

"What do you think your doin, huh?!" Wakka shouts through the headlock.

"Y-Yuna was acting funny, so I…"

"Yeah, yeah! She'll tell us when she ready so hold your Chocobo's till then, ya?"

I try to wriggle myself from the headlock but any sudden movement caused me intense pain. I finally gave in and shouted, "Alright! Alright, alright!" He lets me go and I stumble to the floor placing my hand gently around my neck.

Wakka leaves the room and I shortly follow. We walk back into the main area and as soon as we walk in, Yuna turns and goes to the other side of the room.

Lulu approached us and asked, "Did you two have a fight?"

I shake my head and walk towards Rikku. As I approached we could hear the lightning hitting the floor as she whimpered. "It's not stopping, is it?"

"Don't tell me you were hoping it would?" Auron said as he shook his head and walked out. "Fine. Stay here." He says firmly.

"Alright already!" Rikku shouts. "But you didn't have to say it like THAT you know! You could be more comforting or something! You know, try and cheer me up?"

Auron either just ignores her or isn't there.

"Hey! Are you listening?! Im not scared! Im not scared you hear!?" Rikku shouts as she slowly walks out.

We follow her shortly after and began walking down the thunder plains once again.

About an hour or so later Yuna stopped walking and looked at the ground. "Everyone, wait. I have something to tell you."

"Here?" Lulu asks.

"Were almost out of here, lets go!" Rikku shouts

"I have to say it now!" Yuna insists.

"Over there." Auron says as we all turn and see a sort of shelter. We walk over to the shelter and huddle around, waiting for Yuna to speak.

_Somehow, my bad feelings always come true._

Yuna continues to stare at the ground and then finally looks up and takes a breath.

"I've…decided to marry." Yuna says finally.

I couldn't believe it. I was feeling all sorts of things at the time; Hurt, worried along with the rest of the list. My heart felt like it was sinking or breaking. I could feel the tears starting to emerge and I had to bit my tongue to stop them falling.

"I thought so." Lulu says.

"But why? Why's you change your mind?" Wakka says in a startled voice.

"For Spira's future and Yevon's unity." She replies simply. "I thought it would be the best thing to do."  
"That's not good enough." Auron states firmly.

"Wait, it is because of Lord Jyscal?" Lulu asks.

_Wait! Jyscal, the Sphere!_

"Hey, that sphere!" I yell while stepping towards her. I can see Yuna blink and gulp as I hear Auron footsteps coming towards us. "Show me."

"I cant. I must speak to Maester Seymour first. I really am sorry, but this… this is a personal matter."

"Your kidding, ya?" Wakka says

"As you wish." Auron says as he shrugs.

"Im sorry." Yuna replies

"Just one thing."

"I wont quit my pilgrimage." Yuna says firmly.

"Then it is fine."

_Of all the people… Auron!_

"Wait a minuet Auron! You don't care? Aren't you gunna stop her?" I say while stepping in front of him.

"No im not. As long as she is willing to face Sin, all else is her concern. That is a Summoner privilege. As long as she journeys."

I look at him for a while and then step aside, silently cursing myself.

"Yuna, just one question. Couldn't you just talk to Maester Seymour? You GOT to marry him?" Wakka asks

"I don't know." Yuna replies in a quite voice. "But I think it is the right thing to do."

"Ok, I guess." Wakka says

"Yunie…" Rikku says as she puts her hands on Yuna's shoulders. As she done so, a bolt of lightning hits the ground and instead of squealing, she just shouts, "QUITE!"

She looks back at Yuna and says, "I wish we could help somehow, someway."

"Its ok." Yuna says, taking one of Rikku's hands and holding it. "I'll be fine."

_She's says, "Im sorry" and he says "its fine." She's "Willing" to face Sin, she's "privileged." I didn't understand, and somehow I felt like I didn't belong. But if I didn't belong with them, id be stuck in Spira, alone. And being alone in that place, well, I didn't want to think about it._

"Next were going to Macalania temple. Yuna can talk with Seymour there. We guardians will wait until they're done and then plan our next move. Understood?"

We all nod and we continue down the road until we exit the Thunder Plains and enter and sort of crystallized wood.


	46. Macalania Woods

_**The Macalania Woods**_

As we entered the forest Rikku started jumping up and down at the fact we had gotten through the Thunder Plains alive. As for me, well, Yuna's decision didn't leave me all that cheerful. The group went ahead and rested by a sort of path, all except for Auron. He stood a few metres in front of me, waiting.

As I approaches he said, "You're worried about Yuna."

_Whats the point of arguing? He knows it and I know it._

I sigh as I say, "Of course im worried about her. What is she thinking?"

"The simplest answer would be that in exchange for agreeing to marry him, she hopes to negotiate with Seymour."

But that still leaves the question of the negotiation.

"Negotiate what?" I ask, and all I get as an answer it, "I wonder…"

"What? All by herself?"

Auron laughs a little and says, "She is strong, but Seymour is the better negotiator."

"Well then why don't we do something about it?"

Auron shakes his head and says, "Yuna wants it this way."

I grunt in frustration and walk towards him. "I just don't get it! Doesn't she trust us?"

"On the contrary, she doesn't want us caught up in what ever it is she's planning."

"That's what I thought… but that just makes me worry even more! She could just tell us!"

"That's the way she is. She's naïve, serious to a fault and doesn't ask for help."

I didn't even have to think about it to realise he was correct. "Your probably right."

"Yuna's easy to read."

"Yeah she is." I say, blushing and rubbing my neck.

"But hard to guard." Auron says while walking towards the party. "Stand by her…always."

I was a little taken aback by Auron's choice of words. It was as if he knew. But the strangest thing was he seemed to be encouraging me. I nod as I slowly walk and regroup.

The first thing I hear when I get back is, "Slowpokes!" I preferred Rikku in a happy mood rather in a bad one, and since we had left the Thunder Plains she seemed to be in a cheery mood.

"Sorry." I say back to her. My eyes instantly go to Yuna, but she refused to look at me she continued to look in the distance.

_Its funny how calm I was. Maybe it was because I realised Yuna wasn't marrying Seymour for love, not really. It was just her duty, something she had to do before returning to her pilgrimage. That's what I kept telling myself anyway. And well, maybe, I realised that Yuna and I'd never, you know…_

Her eyes were still distance, even as I walked to her. When she saw my presence she looked at me with a different look in her eyes. Like she was saying "Sorry".

"Yuna, lets go." I say and she nods. She took the lead with the rest of us following her. We began travelling through the crystallized woods and the time seemed to float away.

Eventually we were stopped by a "HEEEEEY!"

Just around the corner, Barthello emerged and came charging towards us. He stopped and began panting while trying to get words out. "H-Have you s-seen Dona?"

"Dona? Cant say I have." I reply shaking my head. "What's up?" Wakka asks behind me.

"We got…separated on the way here. Damn it all! I got to find her!"

"Calm down." Auron says firmly.

"But- if anything happens to her…" Barthello looks at the ground, trying not to show his worry to much.

"Running around in a panic isn't going to help. Right now you have to keep cool and search. Guard your emotions, then guard your Summoner."

I got the feeling Auron wasn't just talking to Barthello, but to me as well.

It took a while for Barthello to respond. Eventually he said, "Your right."

"Shall we search?" Auron offered.

"No, I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you Sir Auron." Barthello does the prayer. He turns and then runs back the way he came. Before he got out of eye shot, Rikku began to chase after him, but then stopped when he got completely out of sight.

"Whats up?" Wakka asks.

"Oh, I just wanted to wish him good luck." Rikku replies.

_I remember thinking, "Yeah? Well, if you had actually meet Dona, you'd be feeling sorry for the guy and hoping he'd never find her again."_

We continue down the path again for a full hour of so. Were nearly out of the place when Auron says, "Wait, its here, somewhere."

"What's here?" I ask.

"Something you should see." Auron answers.

"But, Sir Auron…" Yuna began to insist, but then so did Auron. "It wont take long." He said. He brought out his Katana and began to hack and slash on some sort of tree nearby.

When he finally cleared it, he entered a small pathway, gesturing us to follow him.

As we entered out feet got wet as we began to walk through a sort of small river. "This place, its just water isn't it?"

"This is what spheres are made of. It absorbs and preserves people's memories." Auron answered.

As I took a step forward, I heard a loud splashing sound and Auron added, "Fiends are also attracted to these places."

"_It wont take long."? Yeah right…_

As the jelly like fiend emerged from the water, we all got in out stances and waited for assault. It took a while to defeat this enemy. It kept changing what elements it liked and didn't like, so if we hit it with a fire spell, and its likeable element was fire, it would add to its health, not fun.

We finally did beat it and when we did, there was a glowing sphere on the waters surface. I walked over and picked it up, reading the names carved into the side; Jecht, Auron and Braska.

I walked over to the other and the first thing said to me was, "Man, this is old! Don't know if you can play it back."

"Jecht left it here ten years ago. Play it back." Auron says as I search for the play button.

I put it on the floor and a hologram appears.

There were two men in the picture. The one behind another man I recognized to be Auron. But the man in front I had never seen before, but Yuna kinda cleared it for me.

"Father…" She gasps.

So this was her old man huh?

"_What are you taking?" Auron says._

"_Well, you said it was gonna be a long trip." Said the voice of the sphere carrier, who was defiantly my old man. "We'll be seeing a lot of neat things right? So I thought I'd record it all in this. To show to my wife and kid, you know."_

"_This in no pleasure cruise." The younger Auron said. This Auron seemed even more stubborn then the now Auron._

_Jecht ignored that and turned the camera to Yuna's old man. "Hey Braska, aint this meant to be a grand occasion? Where are the cheering fans, the crying woman?"_

_Braska shook his head and said, "This is it. Too many goodbyes, people think twice about leaving."_

"_Well, if you say so. It better be a lot more colourful when we come back. A parade for Braska, vanquisher of Sin!"_

_Braska laughed and shook his head. "We should go. Day will break soon."_

_The picture goes blank and another pops up. They were in a sort of snowy place with Braska holding the sphere._

"_Auron could you stand closer to him?" Braska shouting to one of the two men in the picture._

_Auron sighed and edged slightly to Jecht. The picture goes up and there a sign above them saying "Lake Macalania."_

"_Good! That should do it!"_

"_What's the matter? Afraid I might bite?" Jecht asked Auron._

"_Jecht…" Auron started by then was cut off by a, "Braska! You should take one too. It would be a great gift to lil Yuna!"_

"_I suppose." Braska agreed._

"_Lord Braska, we shouldn't be wasting out time like this!"_

"_What's the hurry man?" Asked Jecht as he walks our of view. "I'll tell you what the hurry is…" Auron says as he to walks our from the Sphere's sight. _

"_Auron!" Braska shouts as the picture goes down again._

I walk towards the sphere and turn it to pause. "What's the point? He wasn't on some pleasure cruise."

"I think there's more." Rikku said, pointing to the half way gauge on the side.

I turn the sphere back on and the picture pops up again.

_In this picture there was only my old, Auron and Braska were nowhere to be seen._

"_Hey, if your sitting there watching this, it means your stuck in Spira like me. You might not know when you'll get back home, but you better not be crying! Allthough I guess I understand, but you know what? There's a time when you have to stop crying and move on. Remember, you're my Son, and, well…uh…" Jecht struggled as he tried to find the right words. He finally gets up and says, "Never mind, im no good at these things."_

_He walks over to the sphere and picks it up pointing it towards the tree in the background. "Anyways, I believe in you. Be good. Goodbye." _

The picture goes down and the gauge on the side of the sphere reaches the end. "He sounded almost serious, but it was too late." I say.

"He was serious. Jecht had already accepted his fate." Auron said.

"His fate?"

"Jecht, he… he was always talking about going home to Zanarkand. That's why he took all those pictures, to show them to you when he returned. But as he journeyed with us and came to understand Spira and Braska's resolve… It happened gradually, but Jecht changed. He decided he would join Braska in his fight against Sin.."

"So then, he gave up going home?" I ask.

"That was his decision." Auron said as he passed me.

_I guess I understood. My oldman, he knew there was no way back home, back to Zanarkand. He wanted to go home, but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't go on until he accepted it._

_Besides, even if he did find a way back, I don't think he would of left his friends behind before their journey was complete._

I nod to myself and say, "All right, lets go guys."

_Maybe, I had to start accepting my own fate._

We began to walk again, but Auron waited behind for me. "Wait, Tidus?"

"Yeah?"

"Jecht loved you."

"Oh, c'mon please!"

"He didn't know how to express it he said."

"Enough about my old man okay?"

"I just thought you should know." Auron said as he turned to leave.

"Okay…Thanks." I say.

I walk out of the lake and return to the main road. I walk for a few minuets till I see a familiar sign; the sign from the sphere. It had on it Lake Macalania. I go to walk down the icy path and we are greeted by the Guado from Seymour's manor, Tromell.

"Lady Yuna, we've been expecting you. We were surprised you decided to come so soon. Pleasantly surprised of course. Lord Seymour sends his apologies for having left without notice." Tromell bows and Yuna says, "Its quite alright. I do have one question, if I may, sir?"

"My Lady?"

"I want to keep journeying, even if I marry. Do you think Maester Seymour will allow that?"

"But of course my Lady! Maester Seymour wishes nothing less im sure!"

Yuna nods and turns to the rest of us and says, "Goodbye." She walks to Tromell and stands by his side. I look at Yuna as she turns and ask with my eyes, "Are you sure?"

She seems to understand and she nods.

"Well, we must follow Guado tradition. I'll have to ask you to wait here a little longer. I'll send someone to escort you." Both Tromell and Yuna start to leave and I turn in the other direction, and then I hear an "Oh no!" From Rikku. I trun and see Yuna and tromell being surrounded by loads of men.

"Al Bhed!" Shouts Wakka in disgust.

We all run to Yuna and Tromell's aid. "Stand back." Says Auron. "Thank you!" Tromell says as he grabs Yuna's hand to take her to the side. Yuna, of course, got her hand free on his and ran back to us, bringing out her staff and retaining her stance. There is a slight rumbling noise as the Al Bhed run back and then we all hear a "Rikku!" I turn and see one of the men from the boat, Rikku's brother.

"Tuh's ihdanvana un oui kad dhic!" (Don't interfere or you get this! ) He shouted

The rumbling noice now showed itself to be a huge machina.

"Ouin bnaliuic Magic yht Aeons yna caymat!" (Your precious Magic and aeons are sealed!)

"Oh no!" Rikku shouts.

"Translation?" I shout over the rumbling.

"He's gunna used an anti-magic shield on us!"

"Kah dhas!" (Get them!) He shouts. The machina does some sort of jump and lands in front of us. It didn't take long to beat, just a few hacks and it was gone.

After the remains of the Machina had gone, Yuna went straights for Lulu for inspection.

"My Lady!" Tromell says going of in the other direction as Yuna follows him shortly after.

"Rikku!" Shouts the voice of Rikku's brother. "E femm damm Vydran!" (I will tell Father!)

There is a silence before Rikku breaks it by saying, "E ys tra Guardian uv Yuna, oui caa? Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!" (I am the Guardian of Yuna, you see? Yuna is safe! We will guard her! She is safe!)

"Oui tu drec ymuha, cecdan!" Said Rikku's brother before he left. (You do this alone sister!)

Rikku laughed a little before saying, "I told him I was a guardian. Well, I guess I had to really."

"How come you speak Al Bhed?" Wakka asked.

"Because… im Al Bhed, and that… was my Brother." Rikku answered.

_Uh oh…_


	47. Traitors?

_**Traitors**_

"Because… im Al Bhed, and that… was my Brother." Rikku answered.

_Uh oh…_

Wakka looked over at me and Lulu and demanded, "You knew?" We both nodded slightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lulu shrugged and said, "We knew you'd be upset."

Wakka stares at us for a few seconds and then says, "This is great. I cant believe I've been travelling with an Al Bhed, a heathen!"

"Your wrong! We have nothing against Yevon!" Shouts Rikku, defending herself and her people.

"But you Al Bhed used the forbidden machina! You know what that means?! Sin was born because people used machina!"

"You got proof? Show me proof!"

"It's in Yevon's teachings, not that you'd know!"

"That's not good enough! Yevon says this, Yevon says that! Cant you think for yourself?!"

"Well then you tell me! Where did Sin come from 'eh?"

"I…I don't know."

"You bad mouth Yevon, and THAT'S all you can come up with?!"

"But that doesn't mean you have to do whatever they say without thinking, nothing will ever change that way."

"Nothing has to change!"

"You want Sin to keep coming back?"

"Sin will be gone once we atone for our past mistakes!"

"When, how?"

"If we keep Faith in the teaching, it'll be gone one day!"

"Why do I even bother?" Rikku mutters to herself, completely giving up on the argument.

"Rikku?" Says Auron. "Will this move?" He points to one of the snow bikes some of the Al Bhed came on. She runs over to the bike and examines it.

"Were not using THAT are we?" Wakka asks in disgust. "Wait, Sir Auron isn't Al Bhed too, is he?!"

"C'mon, Wakka!" I say. "Getting angry just because you found out Rikki is an Al Bhed… you two got along fine till now."

"That's different, I mean-"

"Well, I don't claim to know that much about Spira, and I probably know even less about the Al Bhed but, I know Rikku's a good person. She's just Rikku!"

Wakka looked at me with surprise and then seeked help from Lulu. She only said, "Just think of this as an opportunity to learn more about the Al Bhed."

Wakka laughed as this, turned and walked away from us. I go to follow him but Auron says, "Let him go, give him time to think."

Rikku gets up from her examination and says, "Sorry."

"You've done nothing to apolagise for." Lulu says in comfort. I saw that she was only good at comforting Yuna as her voice was a little different.

"All right! Let's ride!" I shout while running to one of the bikes.

"You sure you know how to drive this?" Rikku asks me as Kimahri get on one and speeds of.  
"Better then Kimahri does." I say as I get on one of the two bikes. Rikku got on one of the bikes with me, and Lulu got on the other with Auron. I turned on the bike and quickly went speeding down the snow slope.

Soon after we got our of earshot with everyone I said to Rikku, "Sorry about Wakka."

Rikku sighed and then answered "He… didn't have to be so mean, you know? I almost cried…"

"Uh, Rikku?"

"Just kidding," She said in that playful voice of hers. "It's okay, at least your still nice."

A little while later she said out of the blue, "Do you think I look like Yunie?"

This question startled me a little until she said, "My Dad's sister is Yunie's mother, you see?"

_Oh, so their cousins…_

"I had no idea, if you say so. Okay! I guess you guarding family then."

Rikku said in a small voice, "Yunie's not the only one I wanna protect. We Al Bhed want to protect all the summoners, you know? Summoner, you could say that, they sacrifice themselves to bring happiness to Spira."

_Sacrifice?_

"Want do you mean?" I ask, seeing if she was serious or not.

"The pilgrimage, it takes a lot out of you."

"Oh, right." I say with a sigh of relief. "But you know, Yuna's real serious about being a Summoner. For Yuna, the pilgrimage means everything to her. You are going to help her, right Rikku?"

She grunts in agreement and I add on, "So you shouldn't say that she's sacrificing herself."

I feel her hand go around my side and onto my stomach as she says, "I hope you right."

I decide to leave her to her thought as we get closer to the temple. It only took a few minuets but the depressing thing was, we were last, and I don't like losing.

Me and Rikku got of the bike and head towards the temple with the rest of the gang.

Along the way I hear Rikku's stomach give a very loud grumble. I chuckle a little and reach in my rucksack and throw her an apple, getting one for myself in the process.

We reach the entrance of the temple but are stopped by one of the priests.

"Halt!" He said. "The likes of _her_ are not welcome in this hallowed place." He glares at Rikku and then turns his attention to Auron after he says, "She is a guardian."

"An Al Bhed? A guardian? Preposterous!"

"I've decided to be Yuna's guardian now, and that's all I want." Rikku said simply.

Auron had an add on to her sentence though. "And that's all one needs to be a guardian." Auron walks up the stairs and enters the temple.

"Very well." Says the prist while shacking his head in defeat. We all went into the temple.

The woman Shelinda came up to me and said, "There you are! Maester Seymour and Lady Yuna, I couldn't be happier even if it was my own wedding! Now the victims of Sin will have something to be joyful about."

"I guess so." I say as I frown a little.

"Your not happy?"

It's complicated."

_I cant tell her that I love the bride to be, that will be awkward._

"Say, do you know where Yuna is?"

"I believe she's gone to the cloister of trials with Maester Seymour."  
Some of the party member begin to run up the stairs but are interuspter by a woman coming from one of the rooms. "Lord Jyscal! A sphere in Lady Yuna's belongings!"

The party come down the stairs and into the room, only to see the sphere on the floor.

"This may well answer a few questions." Auron says as I press the play button.

A figure of a Guado appeared on the sphere and says, "What I am about to tell you is the unclouded truth. I swear it on my honour as a Guado. Listen to me very carefully, for I shall tell you the truth of my Son, Seymour. His mind is closed even to me, a Maester of Yevon, but I can feel the flames of darkness burning in his heart. He is using Yeven, the Guado and even the Summoner. If he is not stopped, he will surely bring destruction and chaos to Spira. I will leave this world soon, killed by my own Son. But I do not fault him. I was not wise enough. He had suffered and become twisted. I could not protect him nor his Mother from the world and it's cruelty. I will accept death as punishment for my deeds. But whoever it watching this, I implore you to stop Seymour. Stop my Son!"

The sphere turned off and I looked around at the party.

"Wonderful." Auron said sarcastically.

"Will Yuna be all right?" Rikku asks.

"Without us, no." Auron replies as he walks out of the room. Kimahri follows him and Wakka asks, "Where you goin'?"

"You saw, didn't you? Seymour's bad news." I says as I turn to follow the others.

"But he's a Maester!" Wakka protested.

_That's your answer for everything…_

My frustration with Wakka had already reached it's and him say something to do with Yevon made me snap. "Fine! Stay here if you want!"

Lulu walks out of the room saying, "Let's at least hear him out."

"This cant be happening…" Wakka said as we both went out of the room. I went up the stairs, following the others. "Kimahri's up ahead, Let's go." Auron said as I ran through the chilly corridor.

I entered a room with the other behind me and see Seymour standing in front of the dorr to the chamber of the Faith. Behind him were two Guado guards.

"Seymour!" I shout, trying to get his attention.

"Please be silent." He snaps back. "Lady Yuna prays to the Faith."

"Make me." I challenge.

He turns and walks towards me and I hear a familiar rumble from the room. The door opens and Yuna stumbles out of it. "Yuna!" I shout.

"But why?" Yuna asks.

"We saw Jyscal's sphere!"

"You killed him." Auron says to Seymour.

"What of it?" Seymour says as he shrugs. "Lady Yuna, certainly you knew of these things, did you not? Why have you come here?"

Yuna slowly makes her way over to us and then says, "I came to stop you!"

"You came to punish me then." Seymour looks at Yuna and then holds out his hand. My guess was if she took it, she would be joining him.

She shook her head and backed away until she bumped into me. I put my hands on her shoulders for encouragement and then Seymour looks at her, then to me. Eventually he says, "What a pity."

As he says this, the other take this as a sign he was going to kill Yuna, so made a circle around us. "Ah, of course. "Protect the Summoner even at the cost of ones life." The code of the guardian, how admirable. Well, if your offering your lives, I will have to take them."

"Maester Seymour. I trust my guardians with my life, but they are also my friends, I will not stand by and watch then be hurt, I will fight you to!"

"So be it." Said Seymour as he attacked us.

The fight didn't take as long as I had thought it would, it did involve Seymour summoning Anima, the Aeon he summoned at Luca.

As Seymour slumped to the ground in defeat, Yuna walked towards him to help. "Yuna, you would pity me now?" His eyes went up and down and then he dropped to the floor with a _bang!_

Yuna places her hand on his eyes and forced them closed. "Lord Seymour!" Said a voice from behind. We all turned to see Tromell with two other Guado's coming down into the room. "What happened here?"

"What have I done…" Wakka asked himself.

"Wait a minuet! It's not our fault at all, Seymour struck first, he's the bad guy!" I say.

"You did this?!" Tromell said in shock.

Auron ignored him and said, "Yuna, send him."

"No! Stop! Stay away from him, traitors!" Tromell commanded.

The two Guado got on either side of the dead master and carried him out of the room.

"Traitors?" Yuna asked quietly.

"Were finished!" Wakka exclaims.

"Now hold on just a minuet! Seymour's the bad guy, right? We'll just explain to everyone what happened." I said.

Auron, as usual, disagreed with me. "It wont be that easy, lets get out of here."

As soon as we reached the main hall again after completing the trials, Auron said, "Give us a chance to explain."

"No need, I already know what I'll tell the other Maesters." Tromell says.

"Meaning?"

"Lord Seymour was the leader of the Guado before becoming a Maester."

"Your not letting us go." I said angrily.

"Let you go? Lord Seymour would never forgive us if we did that." Tromell explained.

"Wait!" Shouted Rikku from behind. "Jyscal's sphere! We can show it to them!"

"You mean this?" Tromell held up the sphere and smashed it, erasing its data. "The Guado take care of Guado affairs."

"Run!" Auron shouts as he bolts out of the door.

We all run after him as we are being chased by the other Guado. We finally get to the area where we fought the Al Bhed. But are stopped by a huge ogre. Which stomped the thin icy ground after we defeated it. The ground gave way and we all feel to the bottom of the lake.

I soon woke to the sound of the hymn being played

_Praise be to Yevon, that's what I would of said if I was a follower of Yevon. We were all there, and in one piece. Even if I had a headache wondering what was in store for us next._

I got up and saw the gang all in different places. Wakka was on his own with Lulu and so was Auron and Rikku and Kimahri were with the unconscious Yuna.

"I hope Yunie's ok. She's breathing fine and all, how are Lulu and Wakka?"

"Well, Wakka's in shock, cant blame him either, and Lulu? Well, she's just the same as always."

"She's so together, all grown up I guess."

I shrug and say, "I guess."

"Just give me five or six more years."

I ignore that and turn to Kimahri. "So, Kimahri, how do we get out of here?"

"We climb."

"Hey, don't change the subject!" Rikku shouts.

"Only those who try will become."

"Huh?"

I think he means, you have to work hard if you wanna be like Lulu." I say.

"I will!"

Kimahri only shakes his head and says, "Kimahri think Rikku should stay Rikku."

"Hey, do you mean I'll never be like Lulu?"

I laugh at this and then Wakka comes up to us shouting, "How could you laugh at a time like this?!"

Yuna then begins to come around and I say, "Yuna?"

Yuna sits up and begins to explain.. "I wanted to confront Maester Seymour about Lord Jyscal. I wanted to convince him to turn himself in to Yevon's judgement."

"In exchange for marriage?" Lulu asked.

"Yes, if that's what it took."

"So, what did he say?" I ask

"He didn't say anything. Now I feel like it wasn't worth it. I should of told you what I was going to do."

"Enough. Dwelling in the past is futile." Auron says stubbornly.

"Hey, you don't have to say it like that!" Rikku shouts.

"Do you want to waste time, listening to her regrets?"

"You don't have to say it like that."

"Our immediate concern is Yuna's pilgrimage, are you willing to go?"

Yes." Answers Yuna. "But, do you think Yevon will allow it?"

"The Faith are the ones who give power to the Summoners, not the temples or the teachings. If the temples try to stop us then we will defy Yevon if we must."

"Count me out!" Wakka shouts. "We have to atone for the Sin's we have committed. Or course, it's not like I ever really liked Maester Seymour, no way im gunna forgive him for killing Lord Jyscal and for trying to do us all on to ya? But the bunch of us going against Yevon? No way!"

"We have transgressed and must face our punishment." Lulu adds.

"We must go to Bevelle, we must speak to Maester Mika and explain what ahs happened. There is no other way I think. Sir Auron?" Yuna says.

"So it is decided."

"Will you come with us?"

"I am the trouble maker after all."

"You can always count on Auron to complicate things!" I say, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah!" Adds Rikku. "Kimahri roars and Auron runs off!"

"I never asked you to follow me." Auron says.

"But that's what friends are for, right?" I ask

"Yup!" Rikku agrees.

Yuna giggles a little and then says, "Thank you."


	48. The truth Revealed

_**The truth revealed**_

Now that everything was calmer then before, I was able to open my ears and actually listen to the song that had been playing ever since we arrived at the bottom of the lake.

_It sound so…familiar…_

I think on it for a few minuets. It's on the very tip of my tounge but it keeps sliding back down my throght. I finally think it's best to ask the nearest person to me, Yuna, "Is that coming from the temple?"

"Yes, it is Yevon's gift. It soothes the hearts of the faithful." She says while praying. She stops, smiles and turns to Kimahri.

"Jecht used to sing this song." Says Auron from behind me.

_That's where I had heard it...! _I remembered my old man singing, but he was no where near as good as this.

"Yeah, over and over, but not this good!"

"Another trait you share." Auron said with a smirk.

"What? You were listening?" I demanded. He only continues to smirk as I remember sitting on my own humming this song to myself. This song, it helped me a lot. A lot of the time I thought about my Mom, it made me a little depressed, but I couldn't help it. This song helped me to clear my mind, think straight.

"Cant I get a little privacy?" I asked.

"Your singing reminded me of Spira…" Auron replied.

I frown a little in confusion and then say, "Right, your not originally from Zanarkand, are you?" To this he only shakes his head and then I add, "You homesick?"

He shrugs and says, "Maybe…"

A thought occurred to me. He wasn't originally from Zanarkand, but he was there none the less. But that was supposedly 1000 years ago.

"How'd you get to Zanarkand anyway?" I asked, then I thought of the way I got here. "Sin?"

Auron said nothing, which proved to me I was right. "I thought so." I said glumly.

_That proved it. Sin was the link between Zanarkand and Spira. Which means, if we kill Sin, I'll never be able to go home._

The thought stuck with me as the thoughts of Zanarkand kept me company. In one instant, something had changed. In the last 5 minuets I was able to think, now… not now. Why?

"We should get moving soon." Auron said as he turned and sat down.

"The singing stopped." Lulu stats.

_Oh, that's why._

I in the middle on a conversation with Auron that I didn't hear the singing stop.

There was a violent rumble in the ground and a loud and deep growl.

"There something here!" Wakka shouts.

_Thank you captain obvious._

I looked over at Auron whose eyes were fixed on the floor at the time. He looks up at me and says, "The ground…"

I look at the ground and see's what he meant. We were standing right on Sins back.

"Sin!" Yuna shouts.

"The toxin! Watch out!" Lulu shouts, although I think it was mainly for my benefit.

_It was then I knew that Sin rally was my old man. For the first time, I was finally able to believe it._

Everything then started to make sense and fall into place. Back in Zanarkand, my old man always sung the hymn, when he heard it, which was probably the first time in a while, he couldn't help it. It did the same with him as it did with me; this was the first time he was able to think clearly in 10 years, it explains why he didn't attack us I guess, he was too busy.

Everyone looks at me (Except Auron) as if im crazy when I say, "The song! You were listening too! What is it this time?"

After that everything was blank. I could still hear the cries and shouts of the other, and im pretty sure I felt the familiar lap under my head when Yuna came to my side when I fell. But none the less, my vision, not good. I kept thinking that this was the toxin playing tricks on my mind, everything was blank for 5 whole minuets.

After the time went by, an image of Zanarkand came up in my mind. I felt the presence of my old man, just when I first came to Spira.

"Zanarkand." I said to my ghostly father. Why would he show me Zanarkand? Unless…

"You homesick too?"

Another image popped up, an image of 3 blitzball lying on the ground. I guess it made sense. He missed home, he missed Blitzball, the people, the stadium and everything else.

I shook my head and said, "That's not your world anymore, your Sin now."

Another image came up. It was an image of me, well, a younger me. I was a least 9 at the time. I was sitting on my own, singing the hymn.

"Hey, im older now, you know?"

That image died down and then there he was. My old man had his back to me, just standing there. To me, this said that he wanted to go back, to be him again.

"I know, you want this to end. I'll find a way, promise."

The image died down and then I found myself in a pool of water. I floated face first until I tried to breath in. I choked on the water and looked around me. I looked towards the land and saw it was bright brown and dusty.

_Oh great, a desert…_

I swan to land and then looked around thinking _Where am I?_

I shook my head a little and then thought _I forgive you this time. Be good for a while, ok?_

After that I looked around the endless sandy plain and saw no one inn sight, besides a huge bad ass looking bird…

After a while of attack and swiping at one another I heard someone shout from behind me, "Need some help?" It was Auron! He found me, thank God! Now it was two against one.

After more swiping and getting our asses kicked, the bird was set on fire. From out of nowhere, Lulu came out and said, "Are you alright?"

Unknown to us, the attack she done was the final blow, sending the bird into a billion pyerflies.

"We rock! I said. I realised I was getting ahead on myself and then I asked, "The others?"

Lulu shook her head and said, "Haven't found them yet. Were supposed to stay in one place if we get split up."

Auron seemed to have the same thought as me. _If we stay in one place, we'll never find each other. _Auron walked off and I said, "Wait here if you want, he's not going to."

Lulu decided it was a good idea to follow Auron and we ran after him. Shortly after we ran into Kimahri, who was trying to get up a sand slope. Then we ran into Wakka who had a rant about what a bad he was having and nearly broke his foot from kicking a Machina. Then we finally ran into Rikku, who informed us we were on an island called "Bikanel island" She said that her home was nearby and possibly some other Al Bhed had rescued her, then we took off running for her.

"Over here!" Rikku shouted an hour later when we were just about to arrive at her home. She ran to the top of a sand hill and then screamed. We ran to the top and saw what she was making a fuss about. There was a kind of metallic structure being attack by many fiends and monsters. We quickly ran down to the main hall.

"What? Yuna's down there?!" Wakka shouted as we ran down.

"Of all the places…" Lulu added. As soon as we entered the main hall, Wakka demanded, "Where's Yuna?!"

Me and Rikku didn't even hear him as we were to focused on all the death and horror around us. Rikku was defiantly struck when a man fell to the floor and landed on his back. She man to him shouting "Keyakku!"

When she reached him she said, "Fru tet drec du oui?" (Who did this to you?)

The only thing that came out of the dieing mans mouth was, "Yevon… Guado…"

After that, he died.

"Keyakku?!" Rikku shouted

"A war between Yevon and the Al Bhed?" lulu asked.

A man came from behind and Rikku said, "Vydran." (Father)

The man walked over to the dead Al Bhed and kissed his forehead, and then placed him back on the metal ground.

He then turned round to the rest of us and said, "You Rikku's friends? Well don't just stand there, c'mon! Lets go kick those Guado out of our home!"

The man ran out of the hallway and through a door with the rest of us following shortly behind. We went through at least 20 doors before we got on track and Wakka said, "This place done for."

Rikku shook her head and said, "Your right, your right, Wakka. We Al Bhed, we weren't always like this. Sin destroyed the island were we all used to live. After that, we were scattered to every corner in Spira. But then, my Dad brought the Al Bhed together again. If we put our minds to it and work together, then we could make a new home. Everyone worked hard; we had our home back again. But now… why did things have to turn out this way?"

Wakka showed the first bit of sympathy for Rikku since he learned the truth about her. "Rikku..?" She dived straight into her arms and cried her eyes out.

After, we made our way down a set of metal stairs.

Rikku had told us we were going to a place called the Summoners sanctum. After a while of wondering, Lulu asked, "Rikku, what is the summoner sanctum?"

"The Summoners sanctum is were we keep the summoners, we keep them safe there."

"You kidnapped them." Wakka accused.

Rikku only nodded her head and said, "I know its against the teaching and all that…"

"I get why you did it, but-"

"Well, I sure don't get it Wakka." I cut in. "They might get hurt on their Pilgrimage, so you kidnap them? I mean, if the summoners don't do their job, them who will beat Sin? You wanna protect them, I know. But guardians are there for that. If the guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe! Right?"

There is a silence from everyone. I repeat what I said and there is still silence. I suddenly got the feeling that I didn't belong, like they weren't telling me something.

Kimahri walks up and says, "Its quite. Kimahri goes now." He then turned and went down the remains of the stairs. One by one, the other members of the party headed down the stairs. Last of all way Rikku, who looked at me like I was crazy.

_Something is defiantly wrong here… _I thought as she turned and went through the door while shouting, "Yuna, please be here!"

I followed shortly afterwards and was disappointed to see Yuna not there. Only Dona and Isaaru.

"She's not here. Hello again. Wait here until we have performed the sending." Done said.

"They died, protecting us. Its not much, but the least we can do it give them a proper sending." Isaaru added. They both walked off and Isaaru's youngest brother, Pacce, walked up to me and asked, "Hey, what's sacrificed? The Al Bhed said that Summoners were being sacrificed. That Summoners didn't have to do a pilgrimage."

I didn't even properly acknowledge what the boy had said, I was too stuck in my won anger.

"Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect the Summoners? The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage!" I shouted

"The pilgrimages have to stop!" Shouted Rikku. "If they don't and they get to Zanarkand, they might defeat Sin. Yunie could… but then she… Yunie will die, you know!"

The last word she said struck me like a blow.

_Die?_

"You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the final Aeon? Yuna told you, didn't she? With the final Aeon, she can beat Sin, but then… when she calls it then the final Aeon is going to kill her! Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know?!" Rikku shouted and she fell to the ground. I myself was gob smacked, why didn't the others tell me?

I felt a great pain in my chest and I was struggling to breath. I looked around the room at the other and they all had their eyes to the floor.

"Was I the only one… who didn't know?" I asked in a whisper.

Again there was the silence and I took Rikku by the shoulders and shook her, thinking it was the only way to let out my anger with physically hurting anyone. "Tell me why! Why were you hiding it, why didn't I know?!"

"We weren't hiding it…" Wakka started, but Lulu finished. "It was just to hard to say."

I shook my head violently and screamed at the top of my voice, then I got on all fours and began to beat the ground. "Lulu, how could you? How could you?! Isnt she like a sister to you? I thought you were family… why don't you do something Wakka?!"

"Don't you think we tried to stop her?" Lulu asked from behind me. "She follows… her heart."

"Yuna, she knew what she was doin' when she chose to become a summoner. To face Sin ya? Yuna knew!"

"But Wakka, that's just totally wrong! Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves just so the rest of Spira can be happy, right?" Rikku asked in small voice. She was crying, that much was evident.

"But that is out choice." Isaaru said.

"We all live in fear of Sin, you know that." Dona added.

"A world without Sin," Isaaru continued. "That, that is the dream of all Yevon's children. And we will use that power, even if it means out lives!"

That didn't really help the anger inside me, in fact, it only made it bigger. In my eyes then, the people were making her do it. Yuna wasn't the type to just turn around and say "No", so of course she would be happy to die.

Then, Valefor and Ifrit turned up, ready to battle the fiend who had just appeared. I took one look at Valefor and felt hatred for her. The first Aeon Yuna had received, the one that had made her a summoner. I ran straight for her and began to beat her, taking out all of my anger on the Aeon Yuna had the strongest connection with.

"And I've been telling Yuna, lets go to Zanarkand together, lets beat Sin! I told her all the things, we could, we could… and all along that whole time, I didn't know anything!" Most of my anger had flown away by this point and then I said, "But Yuna she, she'd, just smile."

I collapsed in a heap on the floor and felt Valefor's wings come around me, as if trying to embrace me in a way.

I think back to Luca, on what she had told me.

_Flashback_

"_Hey watch!" She turns towards the railings, put her Thumb and Finger in her mouth and lets out an ear piercing whistle. You would of though id be full of praise for her but from the previous conversation I had with Auron it left me a little depressed and all the praise I could conjure up for her was, "Hey, you got pretty good."_

_I did feel a little guilty bringing my down ness into the conversation, but she didn't seem to mind, all she cared about know was why I wasn't as cheery as I normally was._

"_You sound sad." She asks with a little frown on her face._

"_Yeah maybe." I say even more down now I know im not getting out of this one without expressing my feelings._

"_Wanna scream?" She asks, a small smile returning to her face._

_Even I had to force the corners of my mouth up to show her I wasn't as down as she though, but she noticed it was a fake one._

_When I saw she wasn't buying it I gave up with the smiles. "I don't think that's gunna work this time."_

_She sighs silently and begins, " You know…" She hesitates._

"_Hmmm?" I say, trying to help her spit out what she had to say._

"_Its embarrassing to say this myself, but Summoners and their Guardians and kind of like Spira's ray of light. A lot of people in Spira depend on us. I learned to practise smiling, when im feeling sad, you know?" She turns to face me before continuing. "I know its hard."_

_I thought about this for a moment, "Yeah, I understand, I think."_

_She smiles more now and says, "Right… Now lets see what you can do!" _

_End of Flashback_

I felt a new sort of hope from this memory, a feeling, don't ask me what kind. I got to my feet and said, "I cant let her die. I'll find her!"

_I'll find you Yuna, I promise._


End file.
